Genitourinary Cancers
The Claire & John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers is one of the largest, most experienced centers in New England for the treatment and care of patients with bladder, kidney, prostate and other genitourinary cancers.
The Claire & John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers is one of the largest and most experienced centers in New England for the treatment of genitourinary cancers. Many of the advanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches available here are offered at only a few other centers nationwide.
Multidisciplinary Patient CareNew patients are generally seen within two weeks of referral. At that first appointment, a new patient will see each of the specialists who will be involved in their care. A coordinated team of genitourinary cancer specialists, including urologic surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and urologists, will develop a treatment plan tailored to each patient.
This team will oversee the patient’s care, communicating regularly with the patient’s referring physician. Depending on the type of cancer, treatment might involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or some combination of the three.
Expertise in Diagnosing and Staging CancersOur team of pathologists and radiologists are specialists in the detection and accurate staging of genitourinary cancers. Among the advanced methods used to diagnose and stage these cancers are:
- Nanoparticle-enhanced MRI, a novel imaging technique that more accurately detects lymph node metastases that are too small to be seen using conventional means
- Prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer, and Gleason score readings to assess staging
- Advanced imaging techniques, including:
- PET (positron emission tomography)
- SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography)
- Functional MRI
- MR spectroscopy
- Urologic endoscopy
PathologyUnlike many programs that rely on generalists in pathology to evaluate all tumor types, our team includes highly sub-specialized pathologists who work exclusively with genitourinary cancers.
This expertise translates into rapid and accurate diagnosis and staging of the cancer and leads to faster, more precise treatment for patients.
Comprehensive Treatment OptionsTreatment for genitourinary cancers may involve surgery, chemotherapy and radiation or some combination of all three therapies. Our integrated approach offers patients a unique combination of multidisciplinary care and the most advanced, research-based medical, surgical and radiation therapies.
Our medical approaches include:
- Active surveillance for men with prostate cancer that is not aggressive; this includes regular follow up visits, and if necessary, re-biopsy or bone scans
- Androgen deprivation therapy, which lowers the level of the testosterone that stimulates prostate cancer cell growth, causing the tumor to stop growing or shrink, and is used for the treatment of advanced metastatic prostate cancer
- Chemotherapy drugs, which kill rapidly dividing cells, like cancer cells, used alone or in combination
- Sutent, a drug that targets the blood flow to tumors, causing them to shrink; this can be used in combination with other drugs for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer
Clinical TrialsThe Claire and John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers offers one of the region’s largest clinical trial programs in genitourinary cancers. Some of our current trials include:
- A lifestyle intervention that includes changes in diet and improved exercise to determine if these changes can prevent obesity and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in men being treated for prostate cancer
- The use of medication to prevent bone metastases in advanced prostate cancer
- New “targeted drugs” for treating advanced kidney cancer
- Targeted therapies for treating advanced bladder cancer
Pioneering Radiation TherapyOur radiation oncologists use the most advanced therapies to treat genitourinary cancers, many of which are available at few other hospitals.
Among the approaches we use are:
- Brachytherapy, internal radiation which uses a long needle to insert tiny radioactive “seeds” directly into the tumor
- External beam radiation therapy, which directs high-energy radiation at the tumor from outside the body. This is delivered in one or more of the following ways:
- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which shapes multiple radiation beams to target the tumor with a high dose of radiation while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.
- Image Guided Radiation Therapy, which utilizes 2D or 3D imaging techniques during treatment to more accurately direct radiation, is used with all forms of external radiation and is now a standard of care for precise radiation delivery
- Proton beam therapy, which in some cases may target the tumor with more precision, eliminating cancer while reducing damage to healthy tissue
Excellence in Surgical CareOur surgical oncologists and urologists are highly subspecialized in the treatment of genitourinary cancers and are recognized worldwide for their organ-sparing techniques.
We are at the forefront of developing minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of these cancers; in many cases, patients can even be treated as outpatients and with local anesthesia and light sedation. In addition, we perform a large number of these procedures annually and studies have shown patients’ outcomes improve when they are treated in high-volume facilities. Among the minimally invasive surgical procedures offered here are:
- Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, in which the prostate is removed through the use of several small incisions
- Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, in which the kidney is removed by instruments inserted into several small incisions
- Radiofrequency ablation, in which a needle is directed to the tumor and radiofrequency waves are sent through the needle, destroying the tumor
- Laser ablation, in which a laser beam is directed to the tumor and destroys it from outside the body
- Our surgeons are also highly skilled at conventional surgery, and have helped pioneer two revolutionary approaches for the treatment of these cancers. They are:
- Intraoperative radiation, the delivery of radiation directly to the surgical area once a tumor has been removed and while the patient is still under sedation
- Bladder-sparing surgery, involving limited surgery in combination with radiation treatment and chemotherapy
Contact UsClaire & John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 877-789-6100
Each year, we treat a large number of patients for cancers involving the:
- Bladder
- Kidney
- Penis
- Prostate
- Renal pelvis
- Ureter
- Testicles
Multidisciplinary Patient CareEach patient in our program is cared for by a multidisciplinary team of experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of genitourinary cancers, including medical oncologists, urologic surgeons, and radiation oncologists, as well as pathologists and radiologists. We work together with the patient and the referring physician throughout treatment to ensure the best possible outcomes.
We also offer a wide range of free educational programs and support services designed to address the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families.
Innovative Approaches to Cancer TreatmentWe lead the way in developing advanced imaging and diagnostic technologies and cancer therapies, including complex and minimally invasive surgical procedures and novel chemotherapy agents specifically designed to target individual cancers.
One of the most innovative therapies offered in our program is proton beam radiation, which aims to eliminate tumors while reducing the risk to healthy tissue. Our Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center is the only center in the Northeast to offer proton therapy and we are among the most experienced in the country at using proton therapy to treat cancer. We use proton beam very selectively as we work to understand the correct place of this therapy in the treatment of urologic cancer.
Promising Better Therapies Our clinical research program in genitourinary cancers is one of New England’s largest, allowing us to bring promising new treatments to patients as quickly as possible. We are also recognized as one of the region’s foremost research centers in genitourinary malignancies. Our pioneering research efforts include:
- Use of a microchip to capture cancer cells from solid tumors that circulate in the blood to better understand the biology of prostate cancer
- Studies to determine the most effective uses of proton beam therapy for prostate cancer
- A bladder-sparing protocol for the treatment of advanced bladder cancer that is available at only a few other centers nationwide
- An international trial to determine the effectiveness of using specially designed nanoparticles and MRI to diagnose genitourinary cancers
- The von Hippel-Lindau/Hereditary Renal Cell Carcinoma Clinic, which treats patients with this rare cancer and evaluates those who may be at risk for kidney cancer
- Studies to reduce the side-effects of hormone therapy in patients treated for prostate cancer
Treating Cancer Through Clinical TrialsWe offer one of the region’s largest clinical trial programs in genitourinary cancers. Some of our current trials include:
- A lifestyle intervention that includes changes in diet and improved exercise to determine if these changes can prevent obesity and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in men being treated for prostate cancer
- The use of medication to prevent bone metastases in advanced prostate cancer
- New “targeted drugs” for treating advanced kidney cancer
- Targeted therapies for treating advanced bladder cancer
Contact UsThe Claire & John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 877-789-6100
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys - two large, bean-shaped organs - one located to the left, and the other to the right of the backbone.
Prostate Cancer
Early prostate cancer may not present any symptoms and can only be found with regular prostate examinations by your physician.
Testicular Cancer
Cancer that develops in a testicle is called testicular cancer.
Explore your treatment options 
Learn more about the specialized treatment options our experienced medical teams provide for each type of cancer.
