Testicular Cancer Surgery

Testicular cancer surgery is a common form of testicular cancer treatment. The entire treatment plan for any given patient varies, depending on many factors such as the type of testicular tumor and the stage of the tumor (how far along the tumor is in its invasion of the rest of the body). Some cancers, particularly those that have spread outside of the testicle, will require other treatments besides surgery such as chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.

If surgery is indicated, the most common type of surgery for testicular cancer is a total removal of the affected testis. This procedure is called an orchiectomy. Often, lymph nodes in the region, particularly in the groin and abdomen, may be removed as well to test them for the presence of cancer that has spread from the testicle. This is part of the diagnosis and staging of the tumor, determining if the cancer is still confined to the testis or has begun to grow elsewhere in the body. This staging helps to guide prognosis and to determine if further treatment is indicated.

In some cases where the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, other surgical procedures to remove tumor there may be recommended, either to control symptoms or to help in the overall control of the cancer. In general though, those patients with very widespread disease will require more systemic types of treatments such as chemotherapy.