Testicular Cancer Treatment

There are several types of testicular cancer treatment. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the most common, and can be highly effective for most patients. Clinical trials are sometimes used to test new therapies or to find ways to make current treatments more effective.

Many patients receive several different treatments at the same time, or one right after another (for instance, many patients are given radiation therapy after surgery). Each type of testicular cancer treatment serves a different purpose:

• Surgery is used to remove the testicle and any nearby lymph nodes that might also be cancerous. The most common type of surgery for testicular cancer is a radical inguinal orchiectomy.

• Radiation therapy is used to destroy cancerous cells by exposing them to high-energy beams. Typically, the radiation treatment is delivered by a machine outside of the body (external radiation therapy), although some patients might receive a radioactive implant that disintegrates after it has finished treating the tumor (internal radiation therapy).

• Chemotherapy is used to destroy cancerous cells (or prevent them from dividing) by exposing them to powerful medications. Many different medications can be used, and combinations of two or three drugs are fairly common. Sometimes, patients who receive chemotherapy are also given stem cell transplants (from their own adult stem cells, which are collected before chemotherapy) to replace any blood-forming cells that were destroyed by the medications.

Patients who receive testicular cancer treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center’s urologic cancer clinic can access the latest and most effective therapies in a single, convenient location. A multispecialty tumor board meets weekly to review each patient’s progress and make individualized recommendations that help provide the best possible chance of recovery. Supportive care services are also available to help enhance each patient’s quality of life throughout the treatment and recovery process.  Referrals are not required to obtain testicular cancer treatment at Moffitt. To make an appointment, call 1-888-663-3488 or submit a patient registration form online.