Prognosis
Early diagnosis increases the possibility of a complete cure for testicular cancer. Even if the cancer is diagnozed at an advanced stage, the chances of a cure, with minimal morbidity, are very high.
A better understanding of testicular cancer, better diagnosis using tumor markers and improved treatment with cis-platinum based chemotherapy has dramatically improved the scope for survival in testicular cancer patients. The average rate of survival for testicular cancer, after five years, is 95%.
Stage I testicular cancer has a 100% survival rate. Although the rate of treatment success is very high in this type of cancer, it largely depends on the stage of the disease.In less than five percent of people with cancer in one testis, there will be a recurrence in the remaining testis.
The surgical removal of a single testis need not result in infertility or aggravate sexual problems. Chemotherapy and radiation can influence the number and quality of the sperms. If the patient has not completed his family, he can choose to cryopreserve his sperms for latter use.
However, a person who has had both his testicles removed is likely to be infertile and needs to take testosterone supplements. He can in other aspects lead a normal life. It is also possible to place prosthetic testicles in the scrotum after a surgery, for cosmetic purposes, is a person so desires.
Present day management lays emphasis on reducing the overall treatment-related morbidity. The future lies in molecular biology research which hopes to achieve early diagnosis besides identifying susceptible individuals in a population.
Prognosis Table
| Stage Seminomas Non-Seminomas I 99% 95-99% II 70-92% 90% III 80-85% 70- 80% |
