At the Urology Cancer Center, urologists, radiation oncologists, oncologists and representatives of a wide range of highly specialized disciplines work together to provide patients and referring physicians with uncomplicated access to high-quality diagnostics and treatment of prostate, urinary bladder and kidney cancers. 

 

We offer rapid and comprehensive diagnostics followed by a discussion of the findings at our interdisciplinary cancer meetings and with the affected patients. This results in a broadly supported personal therapy recommendation for our patients.

 

The Urology Cancer Center’s scope of services includes state-of-the-art diagnostics and robotic surgery, highly specialized radiation methods and innovative drug therapies, as well as comprehensive personal consultations for patients. In the Urology Cancer Center, there is a joint urologic oncology office for urology and radiotherapy, where experts from the aforementioned disciplines discuss the findings and the treatment plan with the patient. This service is supplemented by comprehensive psychological counseling and support for mental stress caused by the cancer.

 

We expand our patients’ treatment options through our active participation in national and international clinical trials. For example, we are part of the Swiss Working Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) and are able to make innovative therapies, from the latest cancer drugs to immunotherapies, available to cancer patients at an early stage in the Cancer Center.

 

Checklist for Urological Cancer Board registration for external urologists

Wir bieten eine zügige und umfassende Diagnostik mit anschliessender Besprechung der erhobenen Befunde in unserer interdisziplinären Tumorbesprechung und mit den Betroffenen. Daraus resultiert für unsere Patienten eine breit abgestützte, persönliche Empfehlung zur Therapie.

 

Zum Leistungsumfang des Urologischen Tumorzentrums gehören nicht nur modernste Diagnostik und Roboterchirurgie, hochspezialisierte Bestrahlungsmodalitäten und innovative medikamentöse Therapien, sondern auch eine umfassende persönliche Beratung der Patienten. Im Tumorzentrum steht dazu eine gemeinsame Uro-onkologische Sprechstunde der Urologie und der Radioonkologie zur Verfügung, in der Fachvertreter der genannten Disziplinen mit dem Patienten gemeinsam die erhobenen Befunde und den Therapieplan besprechen. Dieses Angebot wird durch eine umfassende psychologische Beratung und Betreuung bei seelischer Belastung durch die Tumorerkrankung ergänzt.

 

Unsere aktive Teilnahme an nationalen und internationalen klinischen Studien erweitert die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für unsere Patienten und Patientinnen. So sind wir Teil der Schweizerischen Arbeitsgruppe für Klinische Krebsforschung (SAKK) und können innovative Therapien, von modernsten Krebsmedikamenten bis zu Immuntherapien, frühzeitig für die Krebsbetroffenen im Tumorzentrum verfügbar machen.

Changes in the kidneys increase with age. Tumors are growths that displace or penetrate the tissue of the affected organ. Tumors can be malignant or benign. The majority of kidney tumors are benign cysts with no disease burden. In this case, therapy is not necessary if there are no symptoms. Occasionally, however, malignant kidney tumors (cancer) form, which are often found by chance in modern imaging tests such as a computer tomography.



Since September 2020, the Urology Cancer Center has also been certified as a kidney cancer center by the German Cancer Society (DKG), which has given the Urology Cancer Center the status of a urologic oncology cancer center. DKG-certified centers must demonstrate every year that they meet the professional requirements for treating a cancer and also have an established quality management system. This certification ensures that our kidney cancer patients receive high-quality treatment at every stage of their disease.  

If we suspect you have kidney cancer, state-of-the-art #D imaging is used to determine the size and extent of the cancer. We can then print the kidney with the cancer as a 3D model to help plan the surgery. In selected cases, we also perform a biopsy to examine the tissue sample under the microscope prior to surgery. 

The treatment of kidney cancer requires the cooperation of different specialists. At our certified Cancer Center, every patient with a newly discovered, locally or systemically advanced kidney cancer is discussed on an interdisciplinary basis in order to offer you an individual and optimally adapted therapy.  

 

Minimally invasive surgical removal of a cancer confined to the kidney is currently the most widely used and best proven method. Our focus is on minimally invasive, robot-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci® system. The surgeon performs the procedure using microsurgical instruments and a camera held by the robot via small abdominal incisions. Our experience shows that patients experience less pain after this operation, are able to move more quickly and return home earlier than patients who undergo open surgery via a large abdominal incision. 

We offer every patient with kidney cancer follow-up care tailored to the patient’s needs in order to detect the recurrence of kidney cancer and any possible surgical consequences at an early stage and treat them early as well.

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in humans. Smokers and men have a significantly higher risk of developing bladder cancer. Contact with certain chemicals is also a risk factor for the development of bladder cancer. Patients with bladder cancer often report suffering from bloody urine as the first sign of the disease. However, an increasing urge to urinate without the classic symptoms of bladder inflammation, such as burning when urinating, can also occur in the context of bladder cancer. 

If bladder cancer is suspected, we will perform a cystoscopy. Nowadays, using a flexible camera, this painless procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis during the consultation. A cystoscopy only takes a few minutes. In addition, we will perform a bladder irrigation to identify any malignant bladder mucosa cells. If abnormalities are detected during these examinations, a tissue sample is taken from the bladder through the urethra, using a minimally invasive technique without a skin incision.  

 

Superficial bladder cancer

The sooner bladder cancer is discovered, the greater the chances of recovery. In many cases, the entire bladder cancer can be removed during the biopsy via the urethra. Depending on the depth of cancer penetration into the urinary bladder wall and its malignancy, further deeper removal of the bladder mucosa may be required. 

Unfortunately, bladder cancer often returns even after complete removal. Our clinic has extensive experience in advanced bladder cancer therapy. BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) immunotherapy can significantly reduce the likelihood of bladder cancer recurrence. We conduct active research in the field of BCG immunotherapy and are funded by the Swiss Association for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK).  

 

Invasive bladder cancer

If the biopsy shows that the bladder cancer has grown into the bladder wall muscles, it is usually recommended to surgically remove the bladder. Once the bladder has been completely removed, urine can no longer be excreted naturally via the urethra. A replacement for urine drainage from the kidneys is created. Different urinary drainage options can be offered depending on the situation. At our certified Cancer Center, each patient with bladder cancer that has grown into the bladder wall muscles is discussed on an interdisciplinary basis. Interdisciplinary consultations with representatives from urology, radiotherapy and oncology take place in order to discuss the different treatment options in detail with you and to develop a treatment approach tailored to your needs. 

We offer every patient with bladder cancer care tailored to their individual needs in order to detect the recurrence of bladder cancer at an early stage and treat it early as well.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. 

 

The sooner prostate cancer is discovered, the greater the chances of recovery. For this reason, the Swiss Urology Association recommends a prostate cancer screening from the age of 45 in the case of family history (father or brother with prostate cancer) and from the age of 50 without family history. This check-up consists of a tactile examination of the prostate via the rectum and a blood test (prostate-specific antigen, or PSA for short).

If any abnormalities are detected during the check-up, multi-plane imaging (magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI) of the pelvis is performed to assess the prostate in more detail. If prostate cancer is suspected, a biopsy is taken from the prostate through the rectum under local anesthetic on an outpatient basis and examined under the microscope. An image-guided fusion biopsy, using magnetic resonance imaging and transrectal ultrasound (MRI-TRUS), has established itself as a particularly accurate method. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pelvis makes suspect areas of the prostate visible. The MRI images are superimposed with the ultrasound images of the prostate during the biopsy. This allows the suspect areas to be targeted with accuracy for a biopsy. This method is used as the standard at our clinic. Prostate cancer is diagnosed earlier, more accurately, and with less tissue needed for the biopsy using the MRI-TRUS fusion biopsy. This allows patients to receive optimal therapy at an early stage and reduces the risk of side effects from repeated biopsies.

The treatment of prostate cancer requires the cooperation of different specialists. At our certified Cancer Center, every patient with a newly discovered prostate cancer cancer is discussed on an interdisciplinary basis in order to offer an individual and optimally adapted therapy. We will discuss your treatment options with you in detail.  

 

«Active surveillance»

In the case of low-risk prostate cancer that does not spread outside the prostate capsule, surgery or radiotherapy may be dispensed with in some cases. The «active surveillance» strategy is used. Prostate cancer is monitored by means of regular check-ups (patent examination of the prostate gland, blood tests and prostate biopsies). This makes it possible to detect changes in the cancer at an early stage and initiate active therapy as the disease progresses. Active monitoring can prevent the side effects of radiation or medication as well as the possible complications of surgery. 

 

Surgical prostate removal

Complete surgical removal of the prostate (radical prostatectomy) is recommended for organ-limited cancer growth. This option is currently the most widely used and well-proven method. Our focus is on minimally invasive, robot-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci® system. The surgeon performs the procedure using microsurgical instruments and a camera held by the robot via small abdominal incisions. Our experience shows that patients experience less pain after this operation, are able to move and go home more quickly than those who undergo open surgery via a large abdominal incision.

 

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy can damage the cancer cells to such an extent that they die off. Targeted radiation protects the surrounding healthy organs such as the small intestine, bladder and genital organs as much as possible. 

 

Hormone and chemotherapy

The sex hormone testosterone influences the growth of prostate cells and, in some cases, the growth of prostate cancer. Antihormone therapy eliminates the influence of testosterone on the growth of hormone-dependent prostate cancer. This can be achieved with surgery (subcapsular orchiectomy) or medication. 

For prostate cancer, chemotherapy may be used if antihormone therapy is not (or is no longer) effective. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment to damage cells or inhibit growth. It prevents fast-growing cancer cells from dividing and prevents the cancer from further multiplying. However, chemotherapy also damages healthy, fast-growing cells (such as bone marrow cells, hair follicle cells or mucous membranes in the mouth, stomach or intestine).

After prostate cancer therapy, we offer all patients individual cancer follow-up care and, if applicable, urinary incontinence and erection counseling.

Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in younger men. In over 95% of cases, a cure can be achieved. The first sign patients often experience is painless hardening in the testicular area. It is important to intervene early in the course of the disease to prevent cancer cells from spreading into the rest of the body.

 

If testicular cancer is suspected, the testicles are scanned, an ultrasound of the testicle is performed and special blood markers are measured, which may be elevated in testicular cancer. If these examinations reveal any abnormalities, the testicle must be surgically exposed from the scrotum for further diagnosis. 

Therapy is planned at a special interdisciplinary conference with colleagues from oncology and radiology. It depends on the type and stage of testicular cancer, the concomitant diseases and the patient’s personal wishes. As a first step, the affected testicle is usually removed through an incision in the groin. This is followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. A complete cure is often possible, even in the advanced stage of cancer. 

Following therapy completion, regular follow-up checks are necessary in order to prevent a possible early relapse. To this end, we will put together a personalized cancer follow-up care plan.

Penile cancer is a rare disease that mostly affects older men. However, one in five people affected is under the age of 60. Known risk factors include human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and chronic inflammation of the penis. An HPV infection can be caused by sexual contact with an infected partner. There are several HPV subtypes, most of which are harmless. However, some are associated with an increased risk of developing penile cancer. Chronic inflammation of the penis can be caused by poor hygiene, constriction of the foreskin or other infections. 

 

Changes to the testicles and penis are often accompanied by a major feeling of shame. It is not uncommon for patients to see a doctor for penile cancer only once the disease is at a very advanced stage. In the beginning there is usually a painless reddish or white spot, which is sometimes raised and can quickly increase in size. Sometimes the diagnosis can be complicated by a constriction of the foreskin that covers the cancer. 

 

If penile cancer is suspected, a small biopsy is usually taken under local anesthesia to confirm the diagnosis. In addition, a sectional image is performed to determine the exact extent of the cancer and to look for spread in the body. 

Therapy depends on the stage of cancer. Potential treatment options are reviewed on an interdisciplinary basis in our tumor board meetings and then discussed in detail with you. The cornerstone of penile cancer therapy is surgery. The penis is preserved, if possible. 

Following therapy completion, regular follow-up checks are necessary in order to prevent a possible early relapse. We will put together a personalized cancer follow-up care plan for you.

A cancer diagnosis can mean a serious change in your life. Psychological stress during treatment often has an impact on people’s health-related quality of life. We therefore offer professional counseling by therapists specialized in cancer.

 

delahayem

Dr. phil. Marcel Delahaye

Psychologe

Psychosomatik

Our nursing care at the Urology Cancer Center includes the following:

Areas of focus at the ward:

  • Nursing care and support before and after surgery
  • Training on prophylactic measures to avoid complications (e.g. thrombosis prophylaxis or pneumonia prophylaxis)
  • Care related to urinary drainage systems and the resulting wounds. If necessary, in cooperation with stoma counseling experts.
  • Visits by nursing staff at the ward to discuss and evaluate needs.
  • Close interdisciplinary cooperation with other care services (APN Continence Support, Head of the Oncology Nursing Program) 

 

Continence support (outpatient/inpatient):

Counseling for patients, relatives and caregivers in dealing with urinary drainage systems (transurethral and suprapubic urinary catheters).

  • Counseling on the problem of incontinence
  • Clarification of individually adapted aids such as absorbent incontinence products, urinal condoms or urine bags
  • Training of patients and relatives on, for example, self-catheterization or the handling of urinary drainage systems (urinary catheters)
  • Nursing support and counseling after urological procedures such as neobladder, prostatectomy, etc.
  • APN continence support (outpatient/inpatient)

tschoppan

Andrea Tschopp

Pflegeexpertin APN

Pflege, Chirurgie

Leitung

SeifertHa

Prof. Helge Seifert

Chefarzt

Urologie

PapachristofilA

Dr. Alexandros Papachristofilou

Leiter der Poliklinik

Radioonkologie

Zentrumskoordination

EbbingJ

PD Dr. Jan Ebbing

Leitender Arzt

Urologie

Leitungsgremium

bolld

Prof. Daniel Boll

Stv. Chefarzt Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin

Leitung abdominelle und onkologische Diagnostik, med. Dienstleistung

BubendorfL

Prof. Lukas Bubendorf

Leitender Arzt und Fachbereichsleiter Zytopathologie

Pathologie

Deckart, Alexander

Dr. Alexander Deckart

delahayem

Dr. phil. Marcel Delahaye

Psychologe

Psychosomatik

Häuptle, Pirmin

Dr. Pirmin Häuptle

hauserc

Claudia Hauser

Fachleitung Pflege APN

Chirurgie B4.6

StennerF

Prof. Dr. Frank Stenner

Stv. Chefarzt

Onkologie

subotics

Svetozar Subotic

Konsiliararzt

Kantonsspital Baselland Urologie

Administration

zarborosamilian

Nadia Zarbo-Rosamilia

Sekretariat

Urologisches Tumorzentrum

Zertifizierung