Testicular Cancer
Alternate Names : Cancer - Testes, Germ Cell Tumor, Seminoma
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Testicular Cancer Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of tumor, the stage of the tumor, and the extent of the disease. Most patients can be cured.
Once cancer is found, the first step is to determine the type of cancer cell. This determination is done by a microscopic exam. The cells can be seminoma or non-seminoma. If both types of seminoma and non-seminoma cells are found in a single tumor, the tumor is treated as a non-seminoma.
The next step is to determine how far it has spread to other parts of the body. This is called "staging."
- In Stage I, the cancer has not spread beyond the testicle.
- In Stage II, the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.
- In Stage III, the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes; it could be as far as the liver or lungs.
There are three types of treatment that can be used. - Surgical treatment includes removing the testicle (orchiectomy) and removal of associated lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy). This is usually performed in the case of both seminoma and non-seminoma testicular cancers
- Radiation therapy using high dose X-rays or other high-energy rays may be used after surgery for patients with seminomas to prevent the tumor from returning. The use of radiation therapy is usually limited to the treatment of seminomas.
- Chemotherapy -- using drugs such as cisplatin, bleomycin, and etoposide to kill cancer cells -- has greatly enhanced the survival rate of both seminomas and non-seminomatous testicular tumors.
The cure rate for Stage I seminoma tumor is over 95%. The treatment is usually surgery to remove the testis and radiation to the lymph nodes in the abdomen.
Stage II seminoma tumors are divided into bulky and non-bulky disease. Bulky disease is generally defined as tumors greater than 5 centimeters.
The treatment of Stage II seminomas includes surgery to remove the testis followed by either radiation to the lymph nodes in the case of non-bulky disease or chemotherapy with cisplatin for patients with bulky disease. The cure rate is between 85-95%.
Stage III seminoma tumors have a 90% cure rate. The treatment is surgery to remove the testis and multi-drug chemotherapy.
The cure rate for a Stage I nonseminoma tumor is over 95%. The treatment is removal of the testis and, possibly, removal of lymph nodes in the abdomen.
Stage II nonseminoma tumors have a cure rate of over 95%. The treatment is usually surgery to remove the testis and lymph nodes in the abdomen, possibly followed by chemotherapy.
Stage III nonseminoma has a 70% cure rate. The treatment will probably be chemotherapy and surgical removal of the testis.
If the cancer is a recurrence of a previous testicular cancer, the treatment usually consists of chemotherapy using combinations of different medications, such as ifosfamide, cisplatin, etoposide, or vinblastine.
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