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In this Article

• What is urethral cancer?
• What are risk factors for urethral cancer?
• What are symptoms and signs of urethral cancer?
• How is urethral cancer diagnosed?
• What is the prognosis for urethral cancer?
• How is staging of urethral cancer determined?
• What are the treatment options for urethral cancer?
• What is the treatment for anterior urethral cancer?
• What is the treatment for posterior urethral cancer?
• What is the treatment for recurrent urethral cancer?
• Where can people find more information about urethral cancer?
• Find a local Oncologist in your town
• Urethral Cancer Index

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

For women, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy followed by surgery (anterior exenteration and urinary diversion).



• Surgery (open excision, electro-resection with fulguration, lymph node dissection, or anterior exenteration and urinary diversion).



• Laser surgery.



• External and/or internal radiation therapy.

For men, treatment may include the following:

• Surgery (open excision, electro-resection with fulguration, lymph node dissection, or partial or radical penectomy).



• Laser surgery.



• Radiation therapy.

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

For women, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy followed by surgery (anterior exenteration with lymph node dissection and urinary diversion).



• Radiation therapy with or without surgery (other than anterior exenteration and urinary diversion).



• Surgery (other than anterior exenteration and urinary diversion) alone.

For men, treatment may be radiation therapy followed by surgery (cystoprostatectomy, penectomy, lymph node dissection, and urinary diversion).

Urethral Cancer Associated with Invasive Bladder Cancer

Treatment of urethral cancer that develops with invasive bladder cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (cystourethrectomy or cystoprostatectomy).



• Watchful waiting.

Treatment of recurrent urethral cancer that comes back near the urethra depends on the type of treatment the patient received before, as follows:

• Surgery: For patients who were first treated with radiation therapy.



• Radiation therapy with surgery: For patients who were first treated with surgery alone.

Treatment of recurrent urethral cancer that comes back in distant parts of the body is usually a clinical trial of chemotherapy.