Is There a Cure for Testicular Cancer?

There is a cure for testicular cancer, depending on the severity of the disease and how early the patient is diagnosed. During an early stage of this disease, the most common cure for testicular cancer is surgery. If the cancer is not discovered early enough, patients may have to undergo various treatments in order to reduce symptoms and possibly eliminate the cancer. Two of the most common treatments of this disease are radiation and chemotherapy, and a physician will determine the most suitable treatment after an extensive medical evaluation. Although some patients may be able to be cured and/or treated for testicular cancer, there is usually a high possibility that the cancer can reappear later.

Surgery is generally performed on most patients who suffer from this disease, but it is usually most successful in the earlier stages. Radical orchiectomy, the removal of one or two testicles, is the procedure performed as a cure for testicular cancer. This procedure involves a physician making a relatively small incision in the lower abdominal area to retrieve the testicle or testicles while applying pressure to the scrotum, which generally takes about an hour. Recovery time is relatively short and may take up to a month for the patient to heal and resume daily activities. The primary reason that this operation is considered a cure for testicular cancer is because the cancerous lumps are removed along with the testicle.

Radiation therapy for this type of cancer is usually performed with an external radiation beam that targets and gradually eliminates cancerous cells. These cells are unable to repair themselves as quickly as normal cells, which makes this treatment highly effective. Two radiation beams are generally used to simultaneously radiate the front and the back of the area, which gives cancerous cells little or no time for recovery. There are moderate side effects that may be experienced during radiation, including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea.

Chemotherapy is an intensive process in which a medical specialist administers a series of chemicals and medications to a patient in various forms, including intrathecal, intravenous, oral, and intramuscular. These drugs fight cancerous cells and help prohibit them from multiplying and/or growing. Due to the strength of theses medications and the other cells' inability to fight the chemicals, there are many side effects that may be associated with chemotherapy. These side effects could include anemia, nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. The severity and other factors usually determine whether any of these treatments are a cure for testicular cancer, and cases differ greatly among individuals.