Treatment Options for Testicular Cancer

Specific treatment for testicular cancer will be determined by your physician based on:

There are several types of treatments for testicular cancer, including:

radical inguinal orchiectomy surgery (to remove the tumor and the testicle)
nerve-sparing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
external radiation (external beam therapy) - a treatment that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes.
chemotherapy - the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells administered either intravenously or in pill form. In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell’s ability to grow or reproduce.

Chemotherapy is often used to cure testicular cancer when it has spread outside the testicle or to decrease the risk of cancer coming back after the testicle is removed. It is not used to treat the cancer that is only in the testicle.
high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation -removing stem cells from the patient's bone marrow or blood stream before chemotherapy and re-infusing them into the patient to help in production of healthy blood cells.

Various treatments for testicular cancer may affect fertility and sexual function, so it is important to discuss thoroughly with your physician.