Different types of treatments are practiced for testicular cancer now days. Treatment method varies with the stages of cancer, patient’s concern, age and health conditions. Some are practiced as standard methods and some are under clinical studies and trials. To start a treatment under clinical trial, the doctor will seek permission of patient prior to. As the clinical trial is a part of research study where the doctors will not be able to predict the result, the patient’s concern is essential. There are three types of treatment for testicular cancer.
Surgery for Testicular Cancer
Surgical procedure involves the removal of affected region from normal counterparts. Radical inguinal orchiectomy is a type of surgery that removes affected region of testicles and lymph nodes. This will be possible in stage 0 and I where the cells has not started to migrate more out of testicles. So this will be effective in patients of initial stage. Most of doctors suggest other treatment methods like radiation therapy and chemotherapy along with surgery to kill cancerous cells left behind. Such treatment methods, practiced after surgery, are known as adjuvant therapies.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a method that uses high energy ionizing radiations like X-rays to kill cancerous or transformed cells. Radiation therapy is practiced in two ways: external radiation therapy and internal radiation therapy.
External radiation therapy uses a machine that sends high energy radiation to the affected areas from outside. Internal radiation therapy is carried out by using needles, threads, wires and seeds or catheter that emits high energy radiation. They are placed in the affected region that helps to point affected cells more accurately and effectively. The doctor decides about the type of therapy to be given and is based on the stage of cancer and health of patient.
Chemotherapy for Testicular Cancer
This treatment include anti cancer drugs given in moderate and high doses to kill affected cells. There are different types of drugs available that either prevents the multiplication of cancer cells or will destroy them. The drugs can be given orally or through veins. In systemic chemotherapy, the drugs that enter body reaches affected cells through blood stream. If the drugs are directly injected to spinal cord, body cavities or to an organ, it is known as regional chemotherapy.
High dosage chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation
This treatment, along with chemotherapy, is carried out by removing affected stem cells that develop into blood cells from bone marrow. After high dose chemotherapy, they are re-implanted to produce blood cells. |
