• In Stage I, the cancer has not spread beyond the testicle.
• In Stage II, the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.
• In Stage III, the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes; it could be as far as the liver or lungs.

There are three types of treatment that can be used.

1. Surgical treatment includes removing the testicle (orchiectomy) and removal of associated lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy). This is usually performed in the case of both seminoma and non-seminoma testicular cancers
2. Radiation therapy using high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays may be used after surgery for patients with seminomas to prevent the tumor from returning. The use of radiation therapy is usually limited to the treatment of seminomas.
3. Chemotherapy -- using drugs such as cisplatin, bleomycin, and etoposide to kill cancer cells -- has greatly enhanced the survival rate of both seminomas and non-seminomatous testicular tumors.

The cure rate for Stage I seminoma tumor is over 95%. The treatment is usually surgery to remove the testis and radiation to the lymph nodes in the abdomen.

Stage II seminoma tumors are divided into bulky and non-bulky disease. Bulky disease is generally defined as tumors greater than 5 centimeters.

The treatment of Stage II seminomas includes surgery to remove the testis followed by either radiation to the lymph nodes in the case of non-bulky disease or chemotherapy with cisplatin for patients with bulky disease. The cure rate is between 85-95%.

Stage III seminoma tumors have a 90% cure rate. The treatment is surgery to remove the testis and multi-drug chemotherapy.

The cure rate for a Stage I nonseminoma tumor is over 95%. The treatment is removal of the testis and, possibly, removal of lymph nodes in the abdomen.

Stage II nonseminoma tumors have a cure rate of over 95%. The treatment is usually surgery to remove the testis and lymph nodes in the abdomen, possibly followed by chemotherapy.

Stage III nonseminoma has a 70% cure rate. The treatment will probably be chemotherapy and surgical removal of the testis.

If the cancer is a recurrence of a previous testicular cancer, the treatment usually consists of chemotherapy using combinations of different medications, such as ifosfamide, cisplatin, etoposide, or vinblastine, sometimes followed by an autologous bone marrow or peripheral stem-cell transplant.

Metastasis (spreading) to other parts of the body may occur with testicular cancer. The most common sites include the retroperitoneal area, the abdomen, the spine, and the lungs.

If both testicles are removed, the man becomes infertile (unable to have children) because no sperm cells will be produced. If surgery is done to remove lymph nodes, there can be damage to nerves that control ejaculation. This can also cause infertility as well as impotence. There is a newer type of surgery that has a better chance of preserving the nerves that maintain erection while still removing the lymph nodes.

Since testicular cancer affects men at the ages they may want to father children, nerve-sparing surgery and sperm banking (to save sperm and freeze it for use in artificial insemination) before any treatment should be discussed with the doctor.