Testicular Cancer Treatments
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery to remove the testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy) and some of the lymph nodes may be done at diagnosis and staging. (See the General Information and Stages sections of this summary.) Tumors that have spread to other places in the body may be partly or entirely removed by surgery.
Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to increase the chances of a cure, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant
High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant is a method of giving high doses of chemotherapy and replacing blood-forming cells destroyed by the cancer treatment. Stem cells (immature blood cells) are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored. After the chemotherapy is completed, the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion. These reinfused stem cells grow into (and restore) the body’s blood cells.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today’s standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI’s clinical trials database.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. This is sometimes called re-staging.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.
Men who have had testicular cancer have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other testicle. A patient is advised to regularly check the other testicle and report any unusual symptoms to a doctor right away.
Lifelong clinical exams are very important. The patient will probably have check-ups once per month during the first year after surgery, every other month during the next year, and less often after that.
Categories: Tags: abdomen, bloodstream, body cavity, cancer cells, cancer treatment, catheters, chemotherapy, energy x, external radiation therapy, inguinal orchiectomy, internal radiation, lymph nodes, other types of radiation, radioactive substance, spinal column, systemic chemotherapy, testicle, types of radiation, types of radiation therapy, x rays
Testicular Cancer Questions and Answers
Testicular cancer is a disease in which cells become malignant (cancerous) in one or both testicles. The testicles (also called testes or gonads) are a pair of male sex glands
Categories: Testicular Cancer Questions and Answers Tags: abdomen, AFP, alpha-fetoprotein, anaplastic, Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, blockages, bloodstream, cancer, cancer accounts, cancer cells, cancer treatment options, chemotherapy, Combination chemotherapy, computerized axial tomography, computerized tomography, ct scan, energy beam, epididymis, gonads, hCG, incision, inguinal orchiectomy, β-hCG, lactate dehydrogenase, LDH, lower abdomen, lymph node dissection, lymph nodes, lymph system, lymph vessels, male physical characteristics, mens cancer, nonseminoma, pathologist, radiation therapy, ray machine, risk factor, scrotum, spermatic cord, teratoma, testicle, testicle cancer, testicles, testicular cancer, testicular cancer check, testicular cancer facts, Testicular Cancer Prognosis, testicular cancer self examination, testicular cancer signs, testicular cancer symptoms, testicular cancer treatment, Testicular Cancer Treatments, testicular cancers, testicular tumor, testicular tumors, tumo, tumor, tumor markers, types of cancer, undescended testicle, yolk sac
Testicular Cancer – General Information
Testicular cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of one or both testicles.
Categories: Testicular Cancer - General Information Tags: abdomen, AFP, alpha-fetoprotein, anaplastic, Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, blockages, bloodstream, cancer, cancer accounts, cancer cells, cancer treatment options, chemotherapy, Combination chemotherapy, computerized axial tomography, computerized tomography, ct scan, energy beam, epididymis, germ cell tumors, germ cells, gonads, hCG, health history, incision, inguinal orchiectomy, β-hCG, lactate dehydrogenase, LDH, loose skin, lower abdomen, lymph node dissection, lymph nodes, lymph system, lymph vessels, male physical characteristics, male sex glands, mens cancer, nonseminoma, pathologist, radiation therapy, ray machine, risk factor, scrotum, signs of testicular cancer, spermatic cord, teratoma, testicle, testicle cancer, testicles, testicular cancer, testicular cancer check, testicular cancer facts, Testicular Cancer Prognosis, testicular cancer self examination, testicular cancer signs, testicular cancer symptoms, testicular cancer treatment, Testicular Cancer Treatments, testicular cancers, testicular tumor, testicular tumors, tiny tubes, tumo, tumor, tumor markers, types of cancer, undescended testicle, urinary systems, vas deferens, yolk sac
