Treatment Options for Urethral Cancer

Distal Urethral Cancer
Proximal Urethral Cancer
Urethral Cancer that Forms with Invasive Bladder Cancer
Metastatic or Recurrent Urethral Cancer

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of abnormal cells in the mucosa (inside lining of the urethra that have not become cancer, may include surgery to remove the tumor (open excision or transurethral resection), electroresection with fulguration, or laser surgery.

Treatment of distal urethral cancer is different for men and women.

For women, treatment may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor (transurethral resection), electroresection and fulguration, or laser surgery for tumors that have not spread deeply into tissue.
• Brachytherapy and/or external-beam radiation therapy for tumors that have not spread deeply into tissue.
• Surgery to remove the tumor (anterior exenteration) for tumors that have spread deeply into tissue. Sometimes nearby lymph nodes are also removed (lymph node dissection). Radiation therapy may be given before surgery.

For men, treatment may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor (transurethral resection), electroresection and fulguration, or laser surgery for tumors that have not spread deeply into tissue.
• Surgery to remove part of the penis (partial penectomy) for tumors that are near the tip of the penis. Sometimes nearby lymph nodes are also removed (lymph node dissection).
• Surgery to remove part of the urethra for tumors that are in the distal urethra but not at the tip of the penis and have not spread deeply into tissue. Sometimes nearby lymph nodes are also removed (lymph node dissection).
• Surgery to remove the penis (radical penectomy) for tumors that have spread deeply into tissue. Sometimes nearby lymph nodes are also removed (lymph node dissection).
• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy given together with radiation therapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with distal urethral cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of proximal urethral cancer or urethral cancer that affects the entire urethra is different for men and women.

For women, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy and/or surgery (open excision, transurethral resection) for tumors that are ¾ of an inch or smaller.
• Radiation therapy followed by surgery (anterior exenteration with lymph node dissection and urinary diversion).

For men, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy or radiation therapy and chemotherapy, followed by surgery (cystoprostatectomy, penectomy, lymph node dissection, and urinary diversion).

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with proximal urethral cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of urethral cancer that forms at the same time as invasive bladder cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (cystourethrectomy in women, or urethrectomy and cystoprostatectomy in men).

If the urethra is not removed during surgery to remove the bladder, treatment may include the following:

• Active surveillance. Samples of cells are taken from inside the urethra and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with urethral cancer associated with invasive bladder cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of urethral cancer that has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body) is usually chemotherapy.

Treatment of recurrent urethral cancer may include one or more of the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor. Sometimes nearby lymph nodes are also removed (lymph node dissection).
• Radiation therapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent urethral cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.