Cancer Health Center

If you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, your doctor will explain what type of cancer you have, whether it has spread beyond the testicle (metastasized), and the potential for curing it. You and your doctor will discuss your treatment options and possible outcomes of those treatments. Testicular cancer is considered a highly curable disease, especially when diagnosed at an early stage.

Initial treatment

Treatment for testicular cancer begins with a radical inguinal orchiectomy, which is surgery to remove the affected testicle(s). After surgery, depending on which type of cancer cells are present and whether your cancer has spread to other areas of your body (stage), you may need only surveillance. Or you may need further treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery to remove lymph nodes (RPLND).

If your cancer was found early, you may have a choice regarding further treatment. Talk with your doctor about the risks and possible side effects of each treatment option. For more information, see:

Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Seminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery?

Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Nonseminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery?

If testicular cancer is not found and treated during its early stages, it may spread (metastasize) to the lymph nodes and to the lungs, liver, brain, and bones. But often testicular cancer that has spread can still be treated successfully.

Ongoing treatment

Regardless of the therapy you choose to treat your testicular cancer, it is important to receive follow-up care, which may lead to early identification and management of recurrent cancer (cancer that comes back). Your regular follow-up program may include:

• Physical exams.
• Imaging tests, including X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.
• Blood tests, to check tumor marker levels. Stable or increasing tumor marker levels after treatment may mean that your cancer is still present or has returned and that further treatment is needed.

A diagnosis of testicular cancer means that you will be seeing your doctor regularly for years to come, so it's a good idea to develop a relationship based on trust and the sharing of information. Your doctor may give you some advice on changes to make in your life to help treatment be successful.

Treatment if the condition gets worse

Testicular cancer that has come back (recurred) may be discovered during a physical exam, through an imaging test, or as a result of increasing tumor marker levels. In some cases, treatment for recurrent testicular cancer may be successful, especially if the cancer has spread only to the lymph nodes in the pelvis, abdomen, or lower back and pelvis (retroperitoneum).

Recurrent testicular cancer may be treated with chemotherapy, surgery to remove lymph nodes, or radiation. Sometimes high doses of chemotherapy are needed. If these treatments don't work, then high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant may be tried.