If the cancer has not spread and was completely removed with the testicle, the operation may be the only treatment you will need.

After your operation, it is very important for you to be seen regularly in the outpatients clinic by your doctor for blood tests, chest x-rays and CT scans. This is because in some men the cancer may come back in the lymph nodes at the back of the abdomen or in the lungs.

If your doctor feels that the risk of the cancer coming back is very low, you will be seen regularly in the clinic and will not have any further treatment unless your tests show that the cancer has come back. This is known as surveillance (monitoring). It is very important to go for these appointments. This is because in the small proportion of men whose cancer comes back, the regular tests will detect the cancer when it is still very small and further treatment can give a very high chance of cure.

If the risk of the cancer returning is thought to be higher, further treatment may be given to help prevent it. This is known as adjuvant therapy. The type of treatment will depend on the type of cancer.

Teratoma is very sensitive to chemotherapy. If the teratoma seems to be contained within the testicle, two sessions of chemotherapy may be given to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back after orchidectomy.

Three or four sessions of chemotherapy may be given if the teratoma has spread beyond the testicle, or if it comes back after orchidectomy.

Seminoma is very sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Even if the seminoma has not spread, men may be offered a single dose of chemotherapy after the surgery. The chemotherapy reduces the chance of the cancer coming back. Radiotherapy to the lymph nodes at the back of the abdomen may be given instead of the chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may sometimes be given if the seminoma has spread to the nodes at the back of the abdomen.

If the lymph nodes are large, or if the seminoma has spread beyond the lymph nodes (this is rare), men are treated with three or four sessions of chemotherapy.