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Your doctor may use cytochrome P450 (CYP450) tests to help determine how your body processes (metabolizes) a drug. The human body contains P450 enzymes to process medications. Because of inherited (genetic) traits that cause variations in these enzymes, medications may affect each person differently. Drug-gene testing — also called pharmacogenomics or pharmacogenetics — is the Read more…

Cystoscopy (sis-TOS-kuh-pee) is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the lining of your bladder and the tube that carries urine out of your body (urethra). A hollow tube (cystoscope) equipped with a lens is inserted into your urethra and slowly advanced into your bladder. Cystoscopy may be done in a testing room, using Read more…

Cystectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the bladder. Cystectomy is most often used to treat bladder cancer. Cystectomy may be used to treat: Cancer that begins in the bladder or that begins nearby and grows to involve the bladder Birth defects that affect the urinary system Traumatic injuries to the Read more…

A computerized tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. A CT scan has many uses, but is Read more…

A computerized tomography (CT) coronary angiogram is an imaging test that looks at the arteries that supply your heart with blood. Unlike traditional coronary angiograms, CT angiograms don’t use a catheter threaded through your blood vessels to your heart. Instead, a CT coronary angiogram relies on a powerful X-ray machine to produce images of your Read more…

Cesarean delivery — also known as a C-section — is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. A C-section might be planned ahead of time if you develop pregnancy complications or you’ve had a previous C-section and aren’t considering vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Often, however, Read more…

Cryotherapy for prostate cancer freezes prostate tissue, causing cancer cells to die. As a minimally invasive procedure, cryotherapy for prostate cancer is sometimes used as an alternative to surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy). In the past, cryotherapy for prostate cancer was associated with significantly higher levels of long-term side effects than were other Read more…

Cryoablation is a treatment to kill cancer cells with extreme cold. During cryoablation, a thin, wand-like needle (cryoprobe) is inserted through your skin and directly into the cancerous tumor. A gas is pumped into the cryoprobe in order to freeze the tissue. Then the tissue is allowed to thaw. The freezing and thawing process is Read more…