Diagnosing Urologic Cancers
Depending on the type of urologic cancer, symptoms may not occur until the disease becomes more advanced. Routine screening is essential for early detection and diagnosis.
Early detection also greatly improves outcomes. For information regarding screening options, please contact a nurse navigator.
Free prostate cancer early detection testing is available for men over 40 who do not have a primary care physician.
If screening results or symptoms indicate a potential cancer, your doctor may order one or more of the following tests:
- Cystoscopy: A narrow tube with a tiny camera is inserted into the urinary tract
- Ureteroscopy: A small scope inserted into the bladder and ureter
- Biopsy: The removal and examination of tissue under a microscope
- Lab tests/blood work
- Imaging such as MRI, X-ray and CT scan
Treating Urologic Cancers
The Hartford HealthCare team delivers excellent outcomes for people with even the most complex or challenging urologic conditions.
Treatment can include:
- Surgery, featuring advanced robotic and minimally invasive procedures designed to spare as much of the affected organ as possible, minimize blood loss and infection and offer a speedier recovery.
Our expert team offers such procedures as:
- Bladder reconstruction: Rebuilding the urinary system using healthy intestinal tissue. Neobladders make urination nearly normal. Diversion with catheterized pouches is also a common surgical technique.
- Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy: Hartford Healthcare pioneered this procedure in treating kidney disease. Our surgeons are among the world’s most experienced in robotic partial nephrectomies, allowing the most complex and larger tumors to be removed with a minimally invasive approach.