Treatment Options For Stage 1 Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is the cancer in the testicles, the male reproductive organ that makes hormones and sperm. To learn more about testicular cancer, read here.

Visual representation of a human with testicular cancer

How is testicular cancer staged?

Staging standardizes the process of describing how much the cancer has spread in the body and this is an important step to determine the best course of action for the disease. Most cancers that have tumours are staged using a staging system called TNM system. For staging testicular cancer, this system is slightly modified to account for level of tumour markers. Read more about testicular cancer staging here.

In the stage I of testicular cancer, tissues close to the testicle are attacked first. However, it doesn’t reach up to the lymph nodes. Proteins level may be normal or rise slightly. The treatment of stage I of testicular cancer is decided after going through a complete and careful diagnosis and the exact treatment may depend on the exact sub stage of the cancer.

Substages of stage I testicular cancer:

Stage IA:

In this stage, tumor invades the internal tissue that layers the testicle from all sides. But in this stage exterior covering or lining is not affected. Also, blood vessels and lymph are safe. Serum levels of the tumor remain normal.

Stage IB:

In stage IB of testicular cancer becomes more complicated when tumor invaded to blood vessels and lymph including the outer layer which covers testicles, scrotum and spermatic cord.

Stage IS:

This is the most critical and complicated stage of testicular cancer creates when the level of tumor marker proteins becomes high. By passing through a surgery tumor is removed.
Advanced medical treatments are prescribed by the cancer specialist to cure for the patient with first stage testicular cancer.

Treatment of stage I testicular cancer:

Stage I of testicular cancer can be diagnosed early and since it has not spread beyond the testicles to the lymph nodes or other organs, in most cases, surgical treatments alone can treat testicular cancers of stage I. The treatment is based on whether the testicular cancer is seminoma or non seminoma, though factors like medical history and tolerance of the patient play a role too.

Treatment of stage I seminomas:

  • Surgical resection of the testicles, followed by strict surveillance.
  • Patients who have more chances of developing a recurrent cancer will have to be given chemotherapy along with surveillance.

Treatment for stage I nonseminomas:

The treatment for nonseminomas of stage I include the following options. However, all the treatments have to be followed by a long term follow-up under strict medical supervision.

  • Surgical removal of the testicles
  • Testicles along with the lymph nodes in the abdomen are to be removed.
  • Surgical removal of the testicles followed by chemotherapy for patients who are at a higher risk of recurrence.

Survival rate:

Stage I of testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancer. It could be detected and diagnosed early. Hence, it’s treatment shows fairly good results.
The 5 year survival rate is the number of patients, for every 100 diagnosed, who have survived 5 years after being diagnosed, represented in percentage. Stage I of testicular cancer has a very high survival rate of 99%. That is, 99 out of 100 men treated for testicular cancer at this stage have survived more than 5 years.
However, The survival rate of the cancer completely depends on the type of treatment the patients have been given among other factors. Read about the treatment options of testicular cancer here

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