Treatment Options For Testicular Cancer

There are three stages that are possible with testicular cancer and each stage has its own treatment options.The treatment options for stage I of testicular cancer will depend on whether or not...

There are three stages that are possible with testicular cancer and each stage has its own treatment options.

The treatment options for stage I of testicular cancer will depend on whether or not the cancer is seminoma or a nonseminoma.

Treatment for seminoma is typically surgery to remove the testicle. Radiation therapy to the lymph nodes that are in the abdomen may also be done after the surgery with lifelong follow-up.

Stage I nonseminoma can be treated in the following manner:

* Surgery to remove the testicle and possibly the lymph nodes in the abdomen if they are also involved, surgery to remove the testicle followed by chemotherapy, or just surgery to remove the testicle. All three options will need to have lifelong follow-up.

* Individuals with stage I testicular cancer should check to see if there are any clinical trials from NCi’s PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that would be accepting new patients for those will stage I malignant testicular germ cell tumors.

Those individuals with Stage II testicular cancer have the following treatment options available depending on if the cancer is seminoma or nonseminoma.

Seminoma stage II testicular cancer for tumor’s that are 5 centimeters or smaller are usually treated by surgery to remove the testicle, and then followed by radiation to the lymph nodes in the abdomen and possibly the pelvis as well.

Should the stage II testicular cancer be nonseminoma than the following treatment options are available:

* Surgery to remove the testicle and also to remove the lymph nodes

* Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes followed by chemotherapy and any follow-up surgeries to remove any remaining cancer.

* A combination of both chemotherapy before the surgery, then surgery to remove the testicle, as well as surgery to remove any cancer that has spread to other organs or tissues.

* It is also possible to have a clinical trial of the combination of chemotherapy instead of removing the lymph nodes in the abdomen.

Treatment for individuals with Stage III testicular cancer will also depend on whether or not the cancer is seminoma or a nonseminoma.

Seminoma stage III testicular treatment options are:

* Surgery to remove the testicle and then a combination of chemotherapy

* A clinical trial of any new therapy method

* A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy along with a bone marrow transplant

Nonseminoma treatment options of Stage III testicular cancer:

* Surgery to remove the testicle and then a combination of chemotherapy

* A combination of chemotherapy which is then followed by surgery to remove any remaining tumor and then followed by more chemotherapy if the tumor tissue that was removed contains cancer cells that are growing.

* A combination of chemotherapy before surgery to remove the testicle if the cancer that has spread is considered to be life threatening.

* Any clinical trials for new therapy

* Clinical trials that may involve high-dose chemotherapy along with bone marrow transplant.

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