Testicular Cancer After Care

After the surgery - now what do I do??
This is the biggest question as all patients with testicular cancer are just ready for this all to be over and ready to move on with their lives. These are some of the "RECOMMENDED" treatment options for testicular cancer. Please note that these are recommendations, and you should follow what your Physician advises you do. If you are unsure or not comfortable with what your Physician is recommending, then we would suggest that you get a second opinion.

Lymph node metastases, CT scan
A CT scan of the middle abdomen showing a large tumor mass due to metastasis (spreading cancer) in abdominal lymph nodes.

Clinical Stage I Nonseminoma - Treated with Surveillance only Note: "Clinical" refers to the diagnosis being based on clinical data (pathology, markers, xrays)

Timeframe Test Needed Year 1 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every month Abdominal CT scan done every 2 months Year 2 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 2 months Abdominal CT scan done every 4 months Year 3-5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 6 months Abdominal CT scan done every 6 months After Year 5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once a year

Pathological Stage I Nonseminoma - Treated with RPLND only Note: "Pathological" refers to the diagnosis being based on physical evidence

Timeframe Test Needed Year 1 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every month Year 2 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 2 months Year 3-5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 6 months After Year 5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once a year

Pathological Stage II Nonseminoma - Treated with RPLND only

Timeframe Test Needed Year 1 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every month Year 2 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 2 months Year 3-5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 6 months After Year 5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once a year

Pathological Stage II Nonseminoma - Treated with RPLND and 2xBEP

Timeframe Test Needed Year 1 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 2 months Year 2 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 4 months Year 3-5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once or twice a year After Year 5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once a year

Stage IIc or Stage III nonseminoma Treated with Chemotherapy, cancer in remission: For Good Risk cancer (seminoma; nonseminoma with AFP < 1000 ng/ml, hCG < 5000 mIu/ml, or LDH < 1.5 times the upper limit of normal; no liver, bone, or brain metastases; gonadal or retroperitoneal primary tumor)

Timeframe Test Needed Year 1 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 2 months Year 2 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 4 months Year 3-5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done every 6 months After Year 5 Tumor Markers and Chest X-ray done once a year