Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is very treatable when caught early. At Memorial Cancer Institute, our urologic oncologists care for the whole person, not just the disease. Your treatment plan targets cancer cells while preserving your dignity and minimizing side effects.
Testicular Cancer Treatment at Memorial Cancer Institute: Why Choose Us
Testicular cancer care requires specialists who understand how the cancer affects your health and life. Your treatment should be based on the type of tumor, while also respecting your lifestyle and circumstances.
Our board-certified urologic oncologists provide complete care for your physical and emotional well-being. When you come to Memorial Cancer Institute for your care, you experience:
- Skilled doctors: Our urologic oncologists have completed the highest level of training in urologic cancer care. They have the skill and expertise to provide the most advanced care available — from the latest chemotherapy medications to delicate surgery techniques.
- Compassionate care: Our team understands the sensitive nature of urologic cancers and that seeking care can be difficult. When we create your treatment plan, we focus on both your physical and emotional needs. We also provide psychological support, acupuncture and other services that treat your whole health. Learn more about our Integrative Medicine.
- Care beyond cancer: Our urologic cancer team provides follow-up care to help you through recovery and beyond. If you need more tests or treatment for hormonal or sexual issues, we can help. Our experts can continue to care for you months or years after your cancer treatment is complete.
- Short wait for appointments: At Memorial Cancer Institute, you don’t have to wait weeks for an appointment. We get you in to see our specialists quickly, usually within a few days.
Testicular Cancer Diagnosis
A testes lump (lump in one of your testicles) is a common symptom of testicular cancer, but there are other signs, too. You might also notice swelling, pain or tenderness in one or both testicles.
Our doctors take the time to listen to you to uncover all possible symptoms and order the tests needed for a fast and accurate diagnosis. Your tests may include:
- Blood tests: Blood tests check for specific hormones, proteins or other signs of a tumor.
- Ultrasound scan: Ultrasound scans can show whether a testes lump is a tumor or something else. Because our urologists have years of experience treating all types of urology issues, they know how to identify potential problems quickly.
There are two main types of testicular cancer: seminomas and non-seminomas. Finding out the makeup of the tumor and its stage is essential to creating personalized treatment plans.
Your blood and imaging test results help your urologic oncologist determine the type of tumor and whether it has spread. Our doctors also ask you about your needs before deciding treatment, such as a desire to have children in the future.
Testicular Cancer Treatment
After carefully evaluating your test results and sharing them with you, our doctors design your treatment plan. Depending on the stage and type of tumor, you may need:
- Active Surveillance
- Orchiectomy
- Chemotherapy and Radiation
Active Surveillance
Our urologic oncologists carefully watch for changes in the tumor with regular check-ups and imaging tests. This plan works well for small, early-stage tumors.
Active surveillance requires years of experience with urologic cancers, so only a highly trained urologic oncologist should provide this option. Our board-certified urologic oncologists have successfully treated thousands of prostate cancer cases. They have the experience to determine when prostate cancer needs medical treatment.
Orchiectomy
Many cases of testicular cancer respond well to orchiectomy, or removal of the affected testicle. With this surgery, our urologic oncologists make a small cut in the groin, and you usually go home the same day.
If this option is right for you, our urologic oncologists explain the process and answer your questions. They also regularly see you for follow-up care to check for cancer recurrence (when cancer comes back). And if you have other urology concerns, such as hormone levels, they guide your care as well.
Chemotherapy and Radiation
If the cancer has spread beyond the testicle, you may need chemotherapy or radiation treatment, or a combination of both. Chemotherapy uses special anti-cancer medications to target and destroy cancer cells in the body. Radiation uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells in targeted places.
At Memorial Cancer Institute, our urologic oncologists work closely with our skilled medical and radiation oncologists. Together, they form a complete cancer care team, so you don’t need to go elsewhere for specialized care.
Make an Appointment
Our urologic cancer specialists see patients throughout South Florida. To schedule an appointment, please call 305-682-2580.
