What to do when you discover testicular cancer - Helping patients overcomefear and choose treatment

Testicular germ cell tumor is a paradigm for curable cancer. Early recognit ion and prompt institution of therapy, with referral to a specialized cance r center as needed, enable a favorable outcome in the vast majority of pati ents. Accurate serum tumor markers assist in diagnosis and are useful in fo llowing a patient's response to therapy. An important distinction in treatm ent as well as in prognosis is whether the tumor is nonseminamatous or semi nomatous. The International Germ Cell Cancer Colloborative Group developed a patient-risk classification for the two types of tumor that is based on p rognostic factors (ie, pretreatment tumor-marker levels, site of primary tu mor, and presence of nonpulmonary visceral metastasis). Treatment is determ ined according to this risk classification and the stage of disease. Tumor confined to the testis may be curable with orchiectomy alone, whereas disea se involving other sites often require chemotherapy. Even in metastatic and recurrent disease, the cure rate is high.