Testicular Cancer

When detected at an early stage, testicular cancer is very treatable with a cure rate close to 99-percent. Your Winship care team draws on Emory’s vast resources in surgical oncology, radiation therapy and medical oncology to provide the newest, most effective practices and treatments for testicular cancer.

Our multidisciplinary care teams include oncology surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, pharmacists and advanced practice nurses with expertise in testicular cancer. As specialists, our teams develop groundbreaking surgeries and treatments that produce better outcomes and are adopted by other leading cancer centers.

Request an Appointment

If you have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, we are ready to help you. Call us at 1 (888) 946-7447 or (404) 778-1900 to make an appointment with a genitourinary specialist. Winship experts are available to provide a second opinion.

We understand that this is a very stressful time. We welcome your questions and requests for help. Learn what to expect on your first visit.

Winship physicians are experts in detecting and diagnosing testicular cancer. They will start with a physical examination and patient history. A scrotal ultrasound may be used to determine whether the mass is inside or outside the testicle. Additional tests such as CT scan and serum protein tumor marker are often used for further diagnosis and staging.

Once the testicle is removed, a pathologist will determine whether it is either a seminoma or nonseminoma.

• Seminomas are thought to develop from cells that produce sperm.
• Nonseminomas are thought to develop from any of the other cells of the testicle.

Nonseminomas and seminomas are treated differently, but treatment will include one or more of the following:

Chemotherapy: This therapy uses drugs to kill testicular cancer cells. This type of treatment may be used on testicular cancer of any stage.

Radiation Therapy: This uses high-energy waves to kill cancer cells. This type of treatment may be used to treat a seminoma of any stage, but is generally not used for nonseminomas.

Stem Cell Transplantation: A stem cell transplant is used most often for testicular cancers that have returned after initial treatment. This treatment consists of destroying cancerous bone marrow cells using higher doses of chemotherapy and in some cases, radiotherapy, and then replacing them with healthy stem cells to help patients build a new and healthy immune system. Winship's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Center has pioneered many advances in stem cell transplant procedures and drugs.

Observation: This is usually only an option in compliant patients with stage I testicular cancers.

Clinical Trials

Consider talking with your doctor about participating in a clinical trial at Winship. Through these trials, you may have access to treatments for prostate cancer that are not widely available.

Supportive Oncology Care

In addition to delivering the highest quality medical care, we recognize the importance of the psychological and emotional aspects of living with a cancer diagnosis and of dealing with treatment. Our supportive oncology team addresses these issues in a timely manner with additional support from counselors, nurse navigators, dietitians and social service professionals.

Male Reproductive and Pelvic Health Care

For many patients with testicular cancer, particularly younger patients, treatment may impact your ability to have children in the future, your sexual activity and your pelvic health. Our experts can help you address male infertility, or help you manage side effects caused by treatment such as erectile dysfunction.