Treatment for testicular cancer

Your treatment will depend on the stage| of the cancer and whether it’s a teratoma or seminoma|.

Early testicular cancer (stage 1) Back to top

For some men surgery| to remove the testicle (orchidectomy) may be the only treatment needed.

You’ll be asked to come back to the clinic regularly to have tumour markers| measured (if the cancer produces markers) and tests. This is called surveillance|. If the cancer comes back it’ll be picked up early, and treatment can cure it. Attending your surveillance appointments is very important. If you move house, make sure the hospital knows your new address.

Often men have surgery followed by treatment with chemotherapy| or radiotherapy|. This is known as adjuvant treatment. It is given to reduce the small risk of cancer coming back.

If you have a teratoma you’ll usually have two sessions of adjuvant chemotherapy. The size of the tumour, how it looks under the microscope, and tumour marker levels (if present) help doctors to decide if you need adjuvant treatment.

If you have a seminoma you’ll usually be offered a single dose of adjuvant chemotherapy. Or you can have radiotherapy to the lymph nodes| at the back of the abdomen; both these treatments seem equally effective. You’ll probably want to discuss the side effects and how the individual treatments are likely to affect your day-to-day life.

If you need adjuvant treatment your doctor will explain why it’s advisable for you. Some men may decide not to have adjuvant treatment and to have surveillance instead. They may want to avoid treatment that might not be necessary. Talk this through carefully with your doctor and make sure you have enough information to help you make your decision.

Testicular cancer that has spread outside the testicle Back to top

If the cancer has spread outside your testicle you’ll be given chemotherapy or radiotherapy after your operation.

If you have a teratoma that has spread, you’ll usually need to have three or four sessions of chemotherapy. Some men need more intensive chemotherapy depending on the stage of their cancer, certain risk factors and how they respond to the initial chemotherapy.

Seminoma usually spreads to the lymph nodes at the back of the abdomen and this is treated with radiotherapy. If the lymph nodes are large, or the seminoma has spread beyond the lymph nodes (this is rare), you’ll usually have three or four sessions of chemotherapy.

Some men may need surgery after chemotherapy to remove the lymph nodes at the back of the abdomen if they are enlarged.

If testicular cancer comes back Back to top

If testicular cancer comes back, treatment can usually cure it in most men. Even if testicular cancer has spread widely, treatment may still be able to get rid of it.