Treatment Options by Stage

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Stage I Testicular Cancer

Treatment of stage I 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, with long-term follow-up.
• Surgery to remove the testicle, with radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen after the surgery, with long-term follow-up.
• Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by chemotherapy and long-term follow-up.

Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the testicle, with long-term follow-up.
• Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes in the abdomen, with long-term follow-up.
• Surgery followed by chemotherapy for patients at high risk of recurrence, with long-term follow-up.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I malignant testicular germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

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:
  • Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis.
  • Combination chemotherapy.
  • Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes in the abdomen.
• When the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters:
  • Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by combination chemotherapy or radiation therapy to lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis, with long-term follow-up.

Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes, with long-term follow-up.
• Surgery to remove the testicle and lymph nodes, followed by combination chemotherapy and long-term follow-up.
• Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by combination chemotherapy and a second surgery if cancer remains, with long-term follow-up.
• Combination chemotherapy before surgery to remove the testicle, for cancer that has spread and is thought to be life-threatening.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II malignant testicular germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

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. If there are tumors remaining after chemotherapy, treatment may be one of the following:
  • Watchful waiting with no treatment unless tumors grow.
  • Watchful waiting for tumors smaller than 3 centimeters and surgery to remove tumors larger than 3 centimeters.
  • A PET scan two months after chemotherapy and surgery to remove tumors that show up with cancer on the scan.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy.

Treatment of nonseminoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the testicle, followed by combination chemotherapy.
• Combination chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove the testicle and all remaining tumors. Additional chemotherapy may be given if the tumor tissue removed contains cancer cells that are growing or if follow-up tests show that cancer is progressing.
• Combination chemotherapy before surgery to remove the testicle, for cancer that has spread and is thought to be life-threatening.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III malignant testicular germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.