Testicular Cancer

Prevention

There is no way to prevent most cases of testicular cancer. Men who had an undescended testicle at birth should be monitored regularly for early signs of cancer.

Treatment

Treatment of testicular cancer depends on the cancer's stage, which indicates how far the cancer has spread. The stages of testicular cancer are:

• Stage I - Cancer is found only in the testicles.

• Stage II - Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes in the abdomen or pelvis.

• Stage III - Cancer has spread beyond the local lymph nodes to the lungs, brain, liver or other parts of the body; or cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and levels of tumor-marker proteins in the blood are elevated markedly.

• Recurrent - Cancer has returned after prior treatment.

The initial treatment for most stages of testicular cancer is to remove the testicle. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the testicle through an incision in the groin. Before the surgery and three weeks after surgery, blood tests will be done to measure levels of tumor markers, including beta-hCG and alfa-fetoprotein. In some patients, additional surgery (called retroperitoneal lymph node dissection) will be needed to check whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the groin and lower back.

After surgery, the treatment of testicular cancer varies according to the cancer's stage. Most men will require additional treatment such as radiation or chemotherapy, but a few men may require only close observation.

After treatment, regular follow-up exams are critical to make certain that the cancer is gone. For the first two years, patients are examined every one to two months, and blood tests, X-rays and CT scans are done. Then, checkups taper off to once or twice yearly.