Treatment options

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Treatment and care of people with cancer is usually provided by a team of health professionals, both medical and allied health, called a multidisciplinary team. 

Treatment for testicular cancer depends on: 

  • the results of your diagnostic tests 
  • the type of testicular cancer you have 
  • whether it has spread 
  • your age 
  • whether you want to have children in the future 
  • your general health 
  • your personal preferences. 

Surgery

Surgery is almost always used to remove the affected testicle. This is called an orchidectomy. If the cancer hasn’t spread, this might be the only treatment you need.  

Your doctor may also decide to remove some lymph nodes in the abdomen (belly) if the cancer has spread. 

Chemotherapy

If the cancer has spread, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy. It can also be used to help decrease the risk of cancer coming back after the testicle is removed (adjuvant therapy).  

Radiation therapy

After surgery, your doctor may recommend radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that may have spread to the lymph nodes in the belly. It is also used occasionally to treat testicular cancer that has spread to distant organs (such as the brain). 

Side effects[5]

Some treatments may have specific side effects on male functioning, as well as other more general side effects. 

Erectile dysfunction

Chemotherapy may cause erectile dysfunction or decreased sex drive. These side effects are usually temporary, and function often returns to normal after the treatment ends. 

Infertility

A side effect of radiation therapy is decreased sperm production or damaged sperm, which may be temporary or permanent. Chemotherapy may also cause temporary or permanent decreased sperm production. 

You may still be fertile (able to have children) while having chemotherapy or radiation therapy, even if sperm are affected. It is important to use contraception (protection during sex) during and for a time after treatment, so a partner does not become pregnant. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause abnormal development of a fetus. 

Your doctor will not know if infertility as a result of treatment will be permanent or temporary. If you wish to have children in the future, you should consider sperm banking before having treatment. Sperm banking is the process of freezing sperm and storing it for later use.