Urologic Surgical Oncology

Our areas of expertise in urologic cancer surgery

Our urologic cancer surgeons select the most effective procedure for your needs and preferences. We consider your cancer type and stage, age, health and recovery expectations. You have access to many resources to support you throughout your journey, including palliative care, integrative health services and patient and family support services.

Robotic urologic surgery

Whenever possible, our surgeons use less invasive procedures to avoid damaging the urinary tract and male reproductive organs. We specialize in robotic surgery for prostate, kidney and bladder cancers.

During robotic surgery, your surgeon controls a robotic arm to precisely remove tumors through one or more small incisions. Patients who have robotic surgery benefit from:

• Shorter hospital stays

• Less pain during recovery

• Lower risk of complications

• Faster return to normal activities

Open urologic surgery

Depending on the size and location of tumors, open surgery may be the best option for some patients. Open surgery uses larger incisions than robotic surgery, but allows surgeons better access to remove large or hard-to-reach tumors.

Our urologic surgeons have the highest level of technical skill and perform complex open procedures that combine open and minimally invasive techniques. For every type of surgery, we follow Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines to help improve outcomes.

Types of urologic cancer surgeries

We routinely perform these surgeries with excellent outcomes:

• Prostate cancer surgery. A radical prostatectomy removes the entire prostate gland. Our surgeons specialize in robotic prostatectomy, which lowers the risk of urinary and sexual issues. In some cases, we can destroy tumors and leave the prostate intact using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

• Bladder cancer surgery. Our surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to remove bladder tumors endoscopically, through the urethra. We also specialize in radical cystectomy (removal of the entire bladder) for aggressive bladder cancer. Our bladder reconstruction procedures, such as neobladder, allow you to urinate normally after surgery.

• Kidney cancer surgery. We offer partial and radical nephrectomy. A partial nephrectomy removes the tumor and spares the kidney, while a radical nephrectomy removes the entire kidney. We can perform these procedures laparoscopically, robotically or using open surgery, depending on which approach is best for your needs.

Combined therapies for urologic cancers

At UCSF Health, we're always investigating new ways to make cancer treatment more effective. For urologic cancers, we may use a combination of treatments – such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy – before or after surgery to improve outcomes. Our experts use advanced molecular testing to analyze cancer cells in your body and determine which treatments are most likely to be effective.