Treatment of Proximal Urethral Cancer

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

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).

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.