Testicular cancer stages: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, stage 4

What is staging?

The stage of a cancer is a term used to describe:

its size
whether it has spread from where it started.

Knowing the stage of the cancer helps the doctors decide on the best treatment for you.

There are several staging systems for testicular cancer. One commonly used system in the UK is the Royal Marsden staging system. We have given a simple version of this below.

We understand that waiting to know the stage of your cancer can be a worrying time. We're here if you need someone to talk to. You can:

Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00.
Chat to our specialists online

Stage 1 testicular cancer

The cancer may be any size and is only in the testicle.

These cancers are divided further into different groups depending on whether tumour markers stay raised after surgery.

Stage 2 testicular cancer

The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes at the back of the tummy (abdomen), called the retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

These cancers are divided further into different groups depending on:

the size of the tumour
the lymph nodes affected
the level of tumour markers.

Stage 3 testicular cancer

The cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the chest, or higher up. For example, these could be lymph nodes in your armpit or neck.

These cancers are divided further into different groups depending on:

the size of the tumour
the lymph nodes affected
the level of tumour markers.

Stage 4 testicular cancer

The cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs. When the cancer spreads, it is known as metastasis.

About our information

References

Below is a sample of the sources used in our testicular cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk

European Association of Urology. Guidelines on Cancer. 2016. Available from: www.baus.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/professionals/sections/oncology/EAU2015-Testicular-Cancer.pdf (accessed August 2018)

European Society for Medical Oncology, eUpdate. Testicular Seminoma and Non-Seminoma Treatment Recommendations. June 2017. Available from: www.esmo.org/Guidelines/Genitourinary-Cancers/Testicular-Seminoma-and-Non-Seminoma/eUpdate-Treatment-Recommendation (accessed August 2018).

Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, Management of adult testicular germ cell tumours. Available from: www.sign.ac.uk/sign-124-management-of-adult-testicular-germ-cell-tumours.html (accessed August 2018).

UpToDate. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and staging of testicular germ cell tumors. January 2018. Available from: www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-diagnosis-and-staging-of-testicular-germ-cell-tumors (accessed August 2018).

Reviewers

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by Senior Medical Editor, Dr Jim Barber, Consultant Clinical Oncologist.

Our cancer information has been awarded the PIF TICK. Created by the Patient Information Forum, this quality mark shows we meet PIF’s 10 criteria for trustworthy health information.

Content under review

Due to the pandemic, there have been delays in us updating this information as quickly as we would have wanted. Our team is working hard to put this right.

The language we use

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We try to make sure our information is as clear as possible. We use plain English, avoid jargon, explain any medical words, use illustrations to explain text, and make sure important points are highlighted clearly.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected. Our aims are for our information to be as clear and relevant as possible for everyone.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.