TREATMENT OPTIONS BY STAGE
Stage I Testicular Cancer
Treatment of stage I testicular cancer depends on whether the cancer is a seminoma or a nonseminoma.
Treatment of seminoma is usually surgery to remove the testicle, with or without radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen after the surgery, with lifelong follow-up.
Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes in the abdomen, with lifelong follow-up.
- Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by chemotherapy and lifelong follow-up.
- Surgery to remove the testicle, with lifelong follow-up.
Stage II Testicular Cancer
Treatment of stage II testicular cancer depends on whether the cancer is a seminoma or a nonseminoma.
Treatment of seminoma may include the following:
- When the tumor is 5 centimeters or smaller, treatment is usually surgery to remove the testicle followed by radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis, with lifelong follow-up.
- When the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters, treatment is usually surgery to remove the testicle followed by combination chemotherapy or radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis, with lifelong follow-up.
Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes, with lifelong follow-up.
- Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes, followed by combination chemotherapy and lifelong follow-up.
- Surgery to remove the testicle followed by combination chemotherapy and a second surgery if cancer remains, with lifelong follow-up.
- Combination chemotherapy before surgery to remove the testicle, for cancer that has spread and is thought to be life-threatening.
- A clinical trial of combination chemotherapy instead of removing the lymph nodes.
Stage III Testicular Cancer
Treatment of stage III testicular cancer depends on whether the cancer is a seminoma or a nonseminoma.
Treatment of seminoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the testicle followed by combination chemotherapy. Any tumor remaining after treatment will need lifelong follow-up.
- A clinical trial of a new therapy.
- A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplant.
Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by combination chemotherapy.
- Combination chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove any remaining tumor. Additional chemotherapy may be given if the tumor tissue removed contains cancer cells that are growing.
- Combination chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy to the brain for cancer that has spread to the brain.
- Combination chemotherapy before surgery to remove the testicle, for cancer that has spread and is thought to be life-threatening.
- A clinical trial of a new therapy.
- A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplant.
Reference:
National Cancer Institute, USA.
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