Once testicular cancer has been diagnosed, surgery is the primary treatment. Other treatments are determined by age, medical history, and the stage and grade of cancer.
Chemotherapy: Powerful drugs taken by mouth or delivered into the veins can be very effective in killing cancer cells that have spread beyond the testicles.
Hormonal evaluation: Before treatment, patients may have a complete hormonal evaluation to assess normal hormone levels. Hormonal replacement following treatment may be needed to help men return to their baseline. This preserves fertility and sexual function.
Radiation therapy: Radiation is an uncommon treatment for testicular cancer, but one example of its use is if there is a precancerous condition in one testicle and cancer in the other.
Sperm retrieval: We take a sample of testicular cells to look for viable sperm cells that can be preserved for use after cancer treatment if healthy sperm are not found in a semen test before surgery.
Surgery: Our specialists perform surgical removal of the testicle (radical orchiectomy) and, in some cases, will perform a partial orchiectomy to remove just the cancerous portion of the testicle. Both partial and radical orchiectomy are performed as outpatient procedures. Following surgery and subsequent treatment, a patient may require an advanced surgical procedure to remove lymph nodes and check for the spread of cancer.