Read article Types of treatment for testicular cancer
This page is about which treatments are used to treat testicular cancer. There is information about
Types of treatment for testicular cancer
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are all used to treat cancer of the testicles. You may have just one treatment or a combination. The doctor plans your treatment by taking into account the type of testicular cancer, and whether it has spread beyond the testicle. Most men are completely cured, even if the cancer has spread.
Treatment by stage
All testicular cancers are treated with surgery. Most men have the whole testicle removed. In some men with a very small tumour part of the testicle may be removed but this is very rare.
Stage 1
Stage 1 cancer may just be treated with removal of your testicle (orchidectomy). If you have a seminoma, you may also be given radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Stage 2
Stage 2A seminomas may be treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Larger stage 2B and 2C seminomas are more likely to be treated with chemotherapy. Stage 2 non-seminomas (teratomas) are usually treated with chemotherapy.
Stage 3
Stage 3 testicular cancers are all treated with chemotherapy. Some lymph nodes may be removed surgically, and sometimes treated with radiotherapy as well.
Testicular cancer that comes back
If your cancer comes back after you have been first treated, you will probably have more chemotherapy. Even cancers that come back can often be cured.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating testicular cancer section.
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are all used to treat cancer of the testicles. You may have just one treatment or a combination. The doctor plans your treatment by taking into account the type of cells the tumour is made up of (teratoma or seminoma), and whether the cancer has spread beyond the testicle (its stage).
Recently there has been a lot of progress in treatment for testicular cancer. Most men are completely cured even if the cancer has spread beyond the testicles when it is diagnosed.
Seminomas and non seminoma testicular cancers are treated slightly differently. But the treatment depends mostly on the stage of your cancer. All testicular cancers are treated with surgery. Most men have an operation to remove the affected testicle. In some men with a very small tumour the surgeon may only remove part of the testicle but this is very rare.
The type of treatment you are offered will depend to a large extent on the type and stage of your testicular cancer. Here is some information about treatment by stage
Stage 1
If you have very early cancer (stage 1) you will have surgery. Usually the surgeon removes the whole testicle (orchidectomy). In some men with a very small tumour the surgeon may just remove part of the testicle but this is very rare. If you have a seminoma, you may also be given radiotherapy to the glands at the back of your abdomen. Or you may have chemotherapy treatment with a single dose of a drug called carboplatin. For either treatment, you will need regular follow up for a number of years.
Stage 2
The treatment of stage 2 seminomas depends on the size of the lymph nodes that contain cancer. After surgery, stage 2A may be treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Larger stage 2B and 2C seminomas are more likely to be treated with chemotherapy.
Stage 2 non seminomas (teratomas) are treated with chemotherapy, unless the markers in your blood tests are at normal levels. In this case, your doctor may just want to monitor your situation with regular blood tests. Or you could have surgery to remove the lymph nodes at the back of your abdomen.
Stage 3
After surgery, stage 3 testicular cancers are all treated with chemotherapy. If any lymph nodes have not shrunk to normal size after chemotherapy, they may be removed surgically and sometimes treated with radiotherapy as well. If you have lung tumours that do not shrink away completely with chemotherapy, they may be removed with surgery.
If your cancer comes back after you have been first treated, you will probably have more chemotherapy. Sometimes, high dose chemotherapy is used. Secondary tumours in the lung may be removed with surgery. Even cancers that come back can often be cured.
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