Treatment for testicular cancer is based on the type of testicular cancer you have and its stage, your overall health and treatment preferences. This may involve surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery is often the primary form of treatment, where the testicle and any nearby affected lymph nodes are removed (orchidectomy).
- Surgery – involves removing the testicle affected by cancer (orchidectomy). If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, they may also need to be removed (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection). Regardless of your stage of testicular cancer, you will likely receive surgical treatment
- Chemotherapy – involves the use of anti-cancer drugs which are taken orally (by mouth) or injected into the body. Chemotherapy may be used to treat advanced testicular cancer that has spread throughout the body, or in combination with other treatments
- Radiation therapy – uses high-energy particles to target and destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy is primarily used for seminoma testicular cancer given its sensitivity to radiation and may be delivered after surgery to nearby lymph nodes, or to testicular cancer which has spread to distant organs (such as the brain)