CT scans are not to be taken lightly. They provide a reasonably large dose of radiation, and they should not be used if they are not needed. Studies have shown that the odds of a recurrence in the retroperitoneum are very small following these therapies, and these odds do not justify the use of a CT scan. The nodes should have been removed as a package, not plucked out one by one. Most nonseminoma recurrences occur within the first two years after treatment.
Most seminoma recurrences happen within the first five years after treatment.
However, in all TC cases, the cancer can occasionally come back much later. It may not be reasonable to follow a surveillance protocol for the next 40 years, but you should do your best to keep in contact with your doctor yearly, and you should always be sure that your current doctor knows that you had testicular cancer way back when. When we talk about a CT scan, we are normally talking about an abdominal scan. Pelvic CT's are normally given as a part of the abdominal scan. Total LDH level is a useful marker for advanced disease as it's not related to a specific site of spreading - the levels should return to normal when the patient has achieved a complete remission.