Treatment options for testicular cancer vary depending on the diagnosis and progression of the disease. Working with you and your doctor, we will design a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Testicular Cancer Treatment options include:

Surgery

Surgery is a common treatment option for testicular cancer. The doctors of USC Norris Cancer Hospital have made great strides in surgical procedures that treat the cancer while preserving a man’s ability to function as normally as possible.

• Radical Inguinal Orchiectomy – This procedure involves the surgical removal of the affected testicle. It is often replaced with a prosthetic testicle to preserve the normal feel and appearance of the area. This procedure typically does not affect sexual or other functions, as a man may enjoy a healthy, normal life with a single testicle.
• Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection – Testicular cancer typically spreads to other parts of the body via the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, which are located behind the major organs of the abdomen. In some cases, these lymph nodes are removed to determine if the cancer has spread. Nerve-sparing techniques can be used to preserve sexual function after surgery.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy involves the use of a beam of focused radiation, which destroys cancer cells. In patients with testicular cancer, radiation therapy is typically used to attack malignant cells in the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, which are located behind the major organs of the abdomen. It can also be used after an orchiectomy as protection against the spread of the disease.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is sometimes recommended to slow the progress of cancer if it has spread (metastasized) from the testes to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy typically isn’t used to treat early testicular cancer.

In addition to utilizing traditional chemotherapy for the treatment fo testicular cancer, we provide patients with the opportunity to access new chemotherapy protocols alone or in combination with standard therapy. We can often offer combinations of chemotherapy with surgery and radiation therapy.