As with other types of cancer, there is a range of factors that can influence testicular cancer survival rates. Among them are the type of testicular cancer a person has and his stage of cancer. The size of the tumor or tumors in question and whether or not they have spread are important factors as well. Additionally, a man's unique health status and the treatments that are used play important roles in an individual's chances of surviving after developing testicular cancer.
When considering testicular cancer survival rates, it is important to understand how they are assessed. For testicular cancer, a survival rate doesn't refer to an indefinite lifespan after diagnosis. Instead, survival rates are given for a specific number of years and involve the majority of people with this disease. Since every patient's case of testicular cancer is slightly different, however, survival rates do not precisely predict how long a specific patient can expect to live with this form of cancer.
Usually, testicular cancer survival rates are given in terms of five-year spans. These rates can change with time but are usually more than 90 percent, meaning a man has more than a 90-percent chance of surviving for at least five years after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. In general, men who are Caucasian have a higher likelihood of surviving for at least five years than African-American men.
Testicular cancer survival rates are often categorized by the stage and extent of the cancer. In the earlier stages of testicular cancer, the tumor is likely to be localized, and the five-year survival rates in such a case are usually well over 90 percent. When the cancer has spread beyond the testicles but not to distant points in the body, five-year survival rates are still over 90 percent, but less than with localized cancer. Men with cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body are typically given five-year survival rates of a little over 70 percent.
After considering the typical five-year survival rates, a doctor may consider things unique to a patient when providing a specific prognosis. In such a case, the man's overall health status will make a difference in his expected survival. Likewise, the treatments that are applied will prove important in providing a patient-specific diagnosis.
Fortunately, most men who receive a diagnosis of testicular cancer are able to begin treatment while the cancer is still localized, which means they have the highest average survival rates. About 18 percent of cases are diagnosed after the lymph nodes in the area have been affected or after the initial tumor development. Only about 11 percent of cases spread to distant parts of the body before diagnosis.