If you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, your health professional 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 health professional 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.³

Initial treatment

Treatment for testicular cancer begins with a radical inguinal orchiectomy, which is surgery to remove the affected testicle(s). Depending on the type of cancer cells present and whether your cancer has spread to other areas of your body (stage), this procedure may be followed by one or more of the following treatments:

• Watchful waiting. This is a period of time during which you are being monitored by your health professional but are not receiving treatment. It is also called observation or surveillance.
• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is the use of high-dose X-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. This type of treatment is commonly used to treat seminomas, as these cells are highly sensitive to radiation. Radiation therapy is not effective in treating nonseminoma cancers.
• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of very powerful medications to destroy cancer cells. The most common chemotherapy used to treat testicular cancer is called cisplatin combination therapy and involves the use of several different medications. This treatment varies in intensity and is often used for men whose cancer has spread beyond the testes to lymph nodes or other organs.
• Additional surgery, which may be required to remove cancer cells that have spread to lymph nodes or other areas of your body. One type of surgery, called a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), is a common treatment for nonseminomas involving the removal of lymph nodes in the abdomen and lower back.

Some stage I testicular cancers are successfully treated with watchful waiting programs rather than chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This option involves frequent examinations as well as blood and imaging tests to monitor your condition. Because of the side effects associated with follow-up treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy (adjuvant therapies), most health professionals consider watchful waiting to be a legitimate treatment option.

If you are diagnosed with a stage I seminoma or nonseminoma (NSGCT), you may have a choice regarding your next course of treatment. It is important to understand that each treatment option, including watchful waiting, has its own risks. In helping you choose your course of treatment, your doctor should fully explain these potential risks and various outcomes so that you can be an informed, active participant at every stage of your treatment. For more information, see:

Which treatment should I have for stage I seminoma?

Which treatment should I have for stage I nonseminoma?