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Treatments for Testicular Cancer

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Main Page Risk Factors Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Screening Reducing Your Risk Talking to Your Doctor Living With Testicular Cancer Resource Guide

If properly treated, testicular cancer is one of the least dangerous cancers. Over 90% of all cases can be cured.

As with any cancer, cure is most readily and reliably obtained when every cancer cell has been eliminated. Because testicular cancer is most often found at an early stage (because men report problems with their testicles quite readily to their doctors), cure is the most common result.

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for both seminoma and nonseminoma type tumors. Radiotherapy after surgery is always considered when the cancer is early and is a seminoma. More controversial is how to treat the nonseminoma tumors after surgery.

Some advocate chemotherapy in all patients, while some recommend only giving it to patients with more advanced disease, including those whose disease has spread to the lymph nodes. Radiotherapy is not usually given to patients with nonseminoma tumors unless the cancer has come back after chemotherapy or is very large.

Some forms of treatment may affect your fertility. If you would like to be able to have children after treatment, talk to your doctor about your options. You may want to have your semen frozen for possible future use.

Treatment may involve the following:

SurgeryRadiation therapyChemotherapyMedications

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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References

  • The Association of Cancer Online Resources, Inc. website. Available at: http://www.acor.org . Accessed January 31, 2006.

  • Cashen AF, Wildes TM. The Washington Manual; Hematology and Oncology Subspeciality Consult. second ed. Wolter Kluwers; 2008.

  • Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center website. Available at: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/ . Accessed January 31, 2006.

  • Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine . 14th ed. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2000.