Bladder Cancer Care Team

These health care professionals work closely with your doctor in the clinic. There are two types: physician assistants (PAs) and advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs). They help provide and coordinate your treatment and can see you without your physician. They also help manage the effects of your disease and treatment.

Infusion nurses are registered nurses (RN) who specialize in giving patients intravenous (IV) medications and therapies, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and antibiotic infusions. They also check on patients during infusions, help keep patients comfortable and can respond to any issues that may come up.

This physician oversees your medicine-based treatments, like chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. 

Your medical oncologist:

• Sees you during your first visit if we expect anti-cancer medicines to be part of your care.
• Explains what your diagnosis means and answers your questions.
• Recommends medicines, doses, schedules and sequences to match your exact needs. They also talk with you about the goals, benefits and risks.
• Sees you on a regular schedule to check how your cancer responds to treatment and how you are doing overall.
• Offers you ways to prevent, recognize, relieve and cope with potential side effects of treatment, like medicine to help with nausea.
• Works with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

They work closely with you and your physician to plan your appointments and coordinate your care. Navigators also help you understand our system, including where and how to get the care you need. They can help with answering your questions and addressing any concerns that come up.

Your patient care coordinator works closely with you and your physician. They will schedule your appointments.

This physician treats cancer with radiation. They prescribe and manage this part of your care if you need it. Working with a radiation oncology team, they plan and deliver your treatments.

Your radiation oncologist:

• Sees you during your first visit if we expect radiation therapy to be part of your care.
• Explains, along with other team members, what your diagnosis and stage mean.
• Recommends radiation therapy to match your case. They decide the type, dose, area to be treated and schedule. They also talk with you about the goals, benefits and risks.
• Works behind the scenes with other radiation experts. These experts make sure you get the right dose in the right places (dosimetrist). They also maintain the equipment that is used (medical physicist).
• Answers your questions about radiation therapy, like why you need it and what to expect.
• Sees you on a regular schedule during radiation therapy to check how your cancer responds and how you are doing overall.
• Offers you ways to prevent, recognize, relieve and cope with possible side effects of treatment.
• Works with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

This specialist positions you each time you come in for radiation treatment. This makes sure that your treatment goes to the right places on your body. They also operate the machines that deliver the radiation.

Your nurses manage your care with your doctors. They also help with procedures and treatments. Nurses are resources for you and your caregiver. They answer questions and help with a wide range of topics, like how to cope with side effects or get other services you need at Fred Hutch.

Many types of supportive care team members are here to help you and your family. They include dietitians, physical therapists, pain medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers, spiritual health staff, palliative care specialists, naturopaths and acupuncturists.

Learn more about Supportive Care Services

This physician does surgery to remove as much of your cancer as possible, along with a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer. In some cases, this means removing your bladder and possibly nearby organs.

Your urologic oncologist:

• Sees you during your first visit if we expect surgery to be part of your care.
• Explains, along with other team members, what your diagnosis and stage mean.
• Recommends surgery to match your exact case. They explain your surgical options. They also talk with you about the goals, benefits and risks.
• Answers your questions about surgery, like why you need it and what to expect.
• Does your surgery, along with a team that includes an anesthesiologist and nurses.
• Offers you ways to prevent, recognize, relieve and cope with possible side effects of surgery.
• Works with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment