Surgery for testicular cancer

If the cancer is completely contained in the testicle (stage 1|), this operation may be the only treatment you’ll need.

You can find out more about what to expect when you’re having an orchidectomy in our section on diagnosis|.

Removing the lymph nodes at the back of the tummy

After chemotherapy|, some men may need further surgery. This happens if a CT scan| shows that the lymph nodes| at the back of the tummy are enlarged (greater than 1cm in diameter).

These nodes may contain cells that could become cancerous in the future. Surgery to remove them is the only certain way of finding this out.

Rarely, these lymph nodes are removed in men with early stage NSGCTs, who prefer to avoid surveillance| or adjuvant chemotherapy, as a way of finding out if the cancer has spread.

Surgery to other parts of the body

After chemotherapy, if there are still signs of cancer in areas such as the lungs, brain or liver, some men may have surgery. These operations are done by experienced surgeons in specialist units. If you need this type of operation, your doctor will talk it over with you.