Urological Oncology

Our urologists and cancer specialists treat cancers of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs through a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together urologists, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and specialised nurses. Much of this care involves surgery. Whether you come to us because of symptoms or a routine blood test, our team will investigate the cause and recommend the most appropriate treatment.

What is urological oncology?

Urological oncology is a specialised field of urology focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers affecting the kidneys, bladder, the rest of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. In men, it also covers the prostate and testicles. General urology treats conditions affecting the same organs when the problem is not cancer. Care ranges from diagnosing cancer and performing surgery to long-term follow-up. Where treatment involves medication rather than surgery, a medical oncologist usually leads the team. Other cases may require surgery, often using minimally invasive or robotic techniques, where the urologist leads the treatment in collaboration with medical and radiation oncologists.

When should you see a urological cancer specialist?

Speak to a doctor if you notice:

• Blood in the urine, even if it happens once
• Needing to pass urine more often, during the day or at night
• An abnormal PSA result or prostate examination
• A lump, swelling or ache in a testicle
• Pain between the ribs and waist that does not settle
• An abnormal finding in the kidney, bladder, prostate or testes on an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI
• A family history of or increased risk of urological cancer
• Losing weight without meaning to or feeling unusually tired
• Cancer recurrence or progression after treatment

Blood in your urine needs urgent medical attention, even if it happens only once and there is no pain.

You can also come without symptoms, simply to be checked. If you are a man, two checks are worth knowing about. The risk of prostate cancer rises with age and rises again if your father or brother has had it, so screening from your mid-forties is worth discussing. Checking your own testicles takes a minute, about once a month, after a warm shower. Anything that doesn't feel normal for you is worth mentioning.

What to expect

Your first appointment starts with a detailed review of your symptoms and family history, and you'll have an examination. What comes next depends on the organ in question. A urine sample and a blood test are usually the first steps. For the prostate, your doctor adds a PSA test, which measures a protein the prostate makes. A scan usually follows, including ultrasound or MRI if needed. If the findings are unclear, a biopsy may be taken so a small tissue sample can be examined in the laboratory.

For suspected cases of blood in the urine, your urologist may arrange further tests, including urine cytology, a CT scan of the urinary system and, where needed, a flexible cystoscopy. This involves passing a small camera through the urethra to examine the lower urinary tract, particularly the bladder.

Your urologist will explain the diagnosis and recommend a personalised treatment plan after your case has been reviewed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer and your general health. Some slow-growing prostate cancers may be monitored rather than treated immediately. Others may require surgery, including minimally invasive or robotic procedures, radiotherapy or hormone treatment, alone or in combination.

Urological oncology at Mediclinic

We treat urological cancer at our hospitals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In Abu Dhabi we run a urological cancer service that follows a case from screening to the checks years later. Prostate biopsies and bladder camera tests are part of the same department. That team also shares cases with our medical oncology and radiation oncology colleagues.

Our Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Dubai handles prostate and kidney tumours. At City Hospital we use robotic techniques for prostate and bladder surgery. Every case goes to a tumour board, so the plan you're offered has been weighed by several specialists. And if you'd like a check before anything is wrong, our prostate screening package starts with a PSA blood test. That package runs in Al Ain as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.