The testicles, also known as the testes, are two golf ball-sized organs located in the scrotum near the penis. They are responsible for producing sperm and testosterone. Testicular cancer affects approximately 8,400 young men each year, comprising about 1 percent of all cancers in U.S. males.
Additionally, it is considered one of the most curable forms of cancer with more than 170,000 men having survived testicular cancer alone in the United States. One of the most famous men who has survived testicular cancer is cyclist Lance Armstrong, who went on to win seven consecutive Tour de France races after receiving treatment.
There are three main treatment options for testicular cancer, including:
- Surgery
- Typically, the first line of treatment for any stage of testicular cancer, a surgery called a radial inguinal orchiectomy is performed that removes one or both testicles that are affected by the cancer. Lymph nodes from the surrounding areas also are typically removed to determine whether or not the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. If both testes are removed, men will need to take testosterone supplements in order to make enough of this male hormone.
- Radiation Therapy
- External radiation therapy, the delivery of high energy rays to destroy the cancerous cells, is mainly used to treat seminomas, a type of testicular cancer that forms from sperm cells. Radiation therapy also can be used after surgery in order to try to kill any remaining cancer cells left over.
- Chemotherapy
- A combination of two or more chemotherapy agents is often used to treat testicular cancer once it has spread outside of the testicle. It typically is not used to treat cancer that is contained within the testicle.
