What Type of Doctor Should I Choose for Bladder Cancer Treatment?

 

 Different Types of Physicians and Specialists for Bladder Cancer

There are different types of doctors that you will come in contact with on your journey with bladder cancer. It's important to pick the right doctor for what you need. Some people don't realize that they can choose their healthcare provider. Even if one provider found the cancer, it doesn't mean you can't get another specialist to manage the cancer. 

 

Don't ever forget the power of a second or third opinion. You want to make sure that you have confidence in your doctors and their plan for you. Even things like test results coming from a radiologist and pathologist, you can get second and third opinions on. Especially think of how important that is concerning pathology. Your treatment plan is based on what is found in your pathology report. 

 

Even if it's something as simple as a personality clash. You have the right to choose your provider. If you don't like the care you are receiving for any reason, you can choose someone else.  

 

🔶 Primary Care Physician / PCP / Primary Care Provider/ GP / General Practitioner: They are healthcare providers or practitioners that see people that have common medical problems. This is the doctor you go to for your yearly check up. A primary care provider can be a physician or Nurse Practitioner, also called an NP. If you are concerned you have symptoms of bladder cancer, you will usually start by seeing your primary care provider. 

🔶 Urologist: A physician who specializes in diseases of the urinary tract system in men and women and in male reproductive organs. They are urinary surgeons. If you are concerned you have symptoms of bladder cancer, you will go to urologist to get an overall urinary assessment, and most likely a cystoscopy/ TURBT/ biopsy and verify that you have cancer. Many urologists treat bladder cancer. However, if your cancer is of a higher stage, you might want to seek out a urologist oncologist. Cystoscopy is a scope with a camera and light that look in your bladder. A TURBT is a surgery where you are put asleep (general anesthesia) and the tumor is taken out. The will also put you to sleep for bladder biopsies, where they will take small tissue samples of your bladder and test for cancer cells. 

🔶 Urologist Oncologist: a urologist who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancers of the male and female urinary tract, and the male reproductive organs.   

🔶 Oncologist / Medical Oncologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy/biological therapy. A medical oncologist often serves as the main caretaker of someone who has cancer and coordinates treatment provided by other specialists.

🔶 Radiologist: Radiologists are medical doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging (radiology) procedures (exams/tests) such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance 

imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) and ultrasound.

 🔶 Pathologist: A pathologist is a board certified physician who studies body fluids and tissues, identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. When your tumor or biopsy is taken out, it's sent to a pathologist to look at, and determine if it's cancer or not.

🔶  Radiation Oncologist: A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.