An experienced physician will often recognize testicular cancer based solely on examination. If there's any question about the diagnosis, an ultrasound may help to confirm the suspicion. The road to cure begins with surgery to remove the affected testicle. This procedure, called an orchiectomy, can be performed in an outpatient setting using a brief anesthetic. A small incision is made in the groin, and the testicle is removed along with the spermatic cord that leads down to it.
Some men choose to have a prosthetic testicle placed inside the scrotum during surgery.
After surgery, CT scanning is done to try to assess whether the tumor has spread. The most common places for the tumor to spread to are the lungs and the lymph nodes within the abdomen. These treatments sound grim, but I encourage my patients to focus on the horizon. The path to cure requires a good deal of work and worry, but the goal is the cure and in most cases we reach that goal, allowing patients to lead a long and normal life. One need only call to mind Lance Armstrong, winner of the Tour de France.