Testicular Cancer

Treatment

The treatment options for testicular cancer are:

• Surgery: Surgery is a primary treatment option for almost all types of testicular cancers. Several types of surgical interventions are available for managing testicular cancer. These are:
  Radical inguinal orchiectomy: It involves the surgical resection of the testicles. Oncosurgeon ties the blood and lymph vessels early during the surgery to avoid the spread of cancer cells to other body parts. The surgeon makes an incision in the groin area to expose the affected testicle. The entire tumor is removed, along with the spermatic cord and testicle. The spermatic cord comprises lymph and blood vessels and a section of the vas deferens.
  Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: Sometimes the surgeon removes the lymph nodes around the large blood vessels with an orchiectomy. It is a major, long, and complex surgery, performed by an experienced surgeon. In certain eligible cases, the lymph nodes are removed through laparoscopic surgery.
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy involves using high-energy particles, such as protons, electrons, neutrons, or high-energy rays (x-rays or gamma rays), to kill cancer cells. In testicular cancer, radiation therapy is typically used for treating cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. It is also performed in patients with testicular cancer metastasized to organs, such as the brain. Seminoma type of testicular cancer is highly sensitive to radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is administered to patients with metastatic testicular cancer. The therapy is usually delivered intravenously. It also reduces the risk of testicular cancer recurrence. Testicular cancer responds well to chemotherapy, and the higher dose of chemotherapeutic drugs even works better. However, cancer specialists restrict themselves from prescribing higher doses due to the risk of bone marrow damage and subsequent risk of life-threatening bleeding and infections. In certain cases, high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation may be prescribed to the patients.
• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is performed in advanced testicular cancer when cancer does not respond to other conventional treatments. Immunotherapy involves delivering medicines that interfere with processes that help cancer cells to hide from the immune system.