Testicular Cancer

Home » Testicular Cancer » Treatment, Prognosis, Prevention

Treatment

Treatment for testicular cancer depends on the stage of the disease. Surgery to remove the testicle is sometimes combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy. Some patients choose to store frozen sperm in a sperm bank before treatment to ensure fertility.

Surgery
Radical inguinal orchiectomy is the surgical removal of the testicle and the spermatic cord through an incision in the groin. Surgery is performed under general or regional anesthesia and takes approximately 1 hour. Most patients remain in the hospital overnight.

If CT scan indicates that testicular cancer has metastasized to the lymph nodes, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is often performed. All of the lymph nodes connected to the affected testicle are removed in this procedure. Such dissection is usually done at a later date.

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is performed under general anesthesia, requires a large incision, and usually takes 4 to 6 hours.

Complications associated with surgery include the following:

• Adverse reaction to anesthesia
• Bowel obstruction and inactivity
• Damage to surrounding organs, blood vessels, and nerves
• Infection
• Infertility (caused by nerve damage that results in retrograde ejaculation)
• Lymph-filled cyst (lymphocele)

Following surgery, patients are usually encouraged to get up as soon as possible. Pain at the incision site and numbness in the area surrounding the incision are common, and pain relievers are often prescribed. Driving and heavy lifting should be avoided for a several weeks.

Men who have had an orchiectomy may choose to have a testicular prosthesis surgically implanted into the scrotum. The prosthesis is filled with saline and is made to look and feel natural.

Radiation
Radiation uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. In testicular seminoma, external beam radiation (from a machine outside of the body) is primarily used after orchiectomy (called adjuvant therapy) to destroy cancer cells that have spread (metastasized) to lymph nodes. Testicular seminoma typically requires a lower dose of radiation than other types of cancer. During treatment, a shield is placed over the remaining testicle to preserve fertility.

Side effects of radiation include the following:

• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Skin irritation that resembles sunburn

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a systemic (i.e., circulates throughout the body via the bloodstream) cancer treatment that uses toxic drugs to destroy cancer cells. In testicular cancer cases, it is used to destroy cancer cells that remain after surgery. Chemotherapy may be administered intravenously (IV), taken in pill form, or injected into muscle.

Drugs used alone or in combination to treat testicular cancer include the following:

• Cisplatin (Platinol®)
• Vinblastine (Velban®)
• Bleomycin (Blenoxane®)
• Cyclophosphamide (Neosar®)
• Etoposide (Etopophos®)
• Ifosfamide (Ifex®)

Side effects of chemotherapy are often severe and include gastrointestinal disturbances, low blood count, skin disorders, and neurological disorders.

Prognosis

Prognosis for testicular cancer depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis. More than 95% of cases are treated successfully.

Prevention

Testicular cancer cannot be prevented.

Testicular Cancer, Treatment, Prognosis, Prevention reprinted with permission from urologychannel.com
© 1998-2009 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Testicular Cancer Resources

	Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Cancer The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to make decisions about your cancer treatment. Print this free handout to take with you on your next office visit.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Join Our Testicular Cancer Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted. National Cancer Survivors Day is June 7, 2009 Share your survival story and help others in the fight against cancer. Read stories already submitted
To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer