Testicular cancer treatment at GenesisCare

More than 90% of testicular cancers start in the sperm-producing germ cells. You may hear testicular cancer called germ cell tumours. The two main types of germ cell testicular cancers are seminomas and non-seminomas.  

According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 2,300 men diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK each year. Younger men are more likely to have the condition, and it most often develops in those aged between 30 to 34. Despite this, early diagnosis and treatment usually mean a positive outcome for most. 

We are the UK‘s leading specialist private cancer care provider. By choosing us, you can be reassured that your treatment will be managed by a team of specialists working together, with you, to decide the best, personalised care plan for your diagnosis. 

It is our commitment to offer world-class care to every patient with cancer. 

There are a number of options of treatment available for testicular cancer at GenesisCare, such as:  

• Surgery – removal of the cancer. This may be one testis or both testes 
• Chemotherapy – anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs which destroy the cancer cells 
• Radiotherapy – high-energy radiation beams which are targeted at the cancer cells 

If the risk of your cancer coming back after surgery is low, you may not need to have any additional treatment, but your consultant may recommend active surveillance. This means you‘ll have regular appointments, and we‘ll monitor signs of the cancer coming back. We encourage patients to come back for regular testing so we can diagnose and treat returning testicular cancer earlier.  

At GenesisCare, we diagnose and treat a wide range of cancers, and we understand that this can be a very worrying time. Our diagnostic services are world-class, and our commitment is to give you the answers you need, as quickly as possible. It‘s important to remember that symptoms can often be caused by other conditions and not always testicular cancer. But, whatever your diagnosis, we can make sure you get the expert care you need and without delay. 

If you‘re concerned about testicular cancer symptoms, we offer specialist testicular cancer diagnosis and expert consultants who specialise in conditions affecting the testicular, kidneys and urethra. They‘ll assess your symptoms and, if necessary, refer you for diagnostic tests such as a CT scan, MRI scan, ultrasound or blood test. Appointments are available within 24 hours. 

The main symptoms of testicular cancer can be similar to other conditions that affect the testes.  Common signs of testicular cancer include:  

• A lump or swelling in the testis 
• An increase in the firmness of the testis 
• Different appearance between one testis and the other 
• Pain or discomfort in the testis or scrotum 
• A heavy feeling in the scrotum 

If your testicular cancer has spread to other parts of the body, you may experience: 

• Pain in your lower back or abdomen 
• Unexpected weight loss 
• Coughing 
• Breathlessness 
• Generally feeling unwell 
• A lump in the neck 

If you‘re concerned about testicular cancer, you should seek medical advice or book an appointment through our UrologyHub. 

Get fast and easy access to expert urologists and diagnostic services for a wide range of health conditions for men and women. Find out more about our UrologyHub.

Our consultants include expert surgeons who work in local and nationally renowned hospitals and will work together with other cancer specialists to decide the best course of treatment for you. If your consultant recommends testicular cancer surgery, this can be arranged conveniently at one of our partner hospitals. You can then continue your other treatments at GenesisCare.  

There are different procedures for testicular cancer surgery, and your surgeon will recommend the most appropriate technique depending on the location of your cancer. If your cancer has not spread outside the testis (stage 1 testicular cancer), your surgeon will remove the affected testis. This procedure is called an orchidectomy and is often the only treatment you need. 

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these. 

Our centres have all received the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark to reflect the quality of care we provide for people living with cancer. 

There are different types of drug treatments, also called systemic anti-cancer therapies. Our expert teams continually review and assess new treatments to make these available to GenesisCare patients as early as possible.  

Chemotherapy for testicular cancer 

Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be delivered on its own or in combination with radiotherapy (chemoradiation). You‘ll usually have chemotherapy after testicular cancer surgery to help prevent cancer from coming back. Chemotherapy can also be used to treat testicular cancer that has come back after initial treatment.  

Advanced cancer 

If your cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it‘s called advanced or metastatic testicular cancer. Unlike other advanced cancers, advanced testicular cancer is curable. At GenesisCare, you can receive drug treatments for advanced testicular cancer. 

Personalised medicine 

For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing, to understand cancer cells’ genetic makeup. This helps us to identify which drugs are available to work against the particular genetic mutations in a cancer, allowing us to start effective treatment without delay. 

There may also be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest treatments for testicular cancer. 

Drug treatment side effects 

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you depending on your drug treatment, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these. 

At GenesisCare, we are the leading private provider of radiotherapy in the UK and offer world-class expertise and state-of-the-art facilities that specialise in advanced radiotherapy techniques. Our latest-generation radiotherapy machines (called linacs) deliver highly targeted radiation beams that are designed to be effective while minimising the radiation dose to healthy tissues. 

Your treatment will be governed by our expert multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), consisting of oncologists and radiotherapists, who work together to ensure that you only receive the best possible care. 

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a modern radiotherapy technique that directs beams of radiation in an arc across the treatment area. Together with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), it‘s possible to precisely target areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of the radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues. Side effects of radiotherapy occur when healthy tissues receive radiation, so using this technique helps to limit the dose to tissues and organs surrounding the tumour. At GenesisCare, we offer VMAT wherever possible because it is widely recognised to be the highest standard of care currently available for patients needing this type of radiotherapy. 

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you start your course of radiotherapy, together with the ways your treatment plan and supporting care can help to manage or minimise these. 

Exercise medicine is a personalised programme of carefully planned and supported physical activity that has been shown to improve outcomes for cancer patients, enhancing quality of life and limiting the impact of cancer, such as by improving strength and reducing fatigue. One of our physiotherapists specialising in exercise for people living with cancer will provide a 12-week programme tailored to your needs and supported by our dedicated GenesisCare Exercise Medicine app. They‘ll work closely with you to monitor changes in your health and support you throughout the programme to help you get the best results. This is available at selected GenesisCare centres. 

We also offer a wellbeing expert and holistic therapies such as counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology through our unique partnership with the Penny Brohn UK charity. This service is available to all testicular cancer patients at any of our 14 UK centres.  

Our dedicated cancer centres are convenient and easy-to-access. You can use your private medical insurance, and we‘re recognised by all leading insurers. 

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, our priority is to continue providing the very best cancer care with meticulous measures in place to ensure our patients receive the treatments they need safely and without delay. You can find out more about our COVID-19 safety measures here. 

We are proud that so many patients rate our care as excellent as we help them through their cancer journey. Find out more about the unique experiences of people who have had their cancer diagnosis or treatment at GenesisCare in our patient stories section.