Radiation Therapy
Seminomas, which are the most common form of testicular tumor, are very sensitive to radiation treatment. In fact, the treatment dosage is only about one-third of that required for prostate cancer, and the treatment cycle is only two weeks.
Radiation is performed after surgery to remove the testicle (orchiectomy). If the tumor was a seminoma, the oncologist may choose "watchful waiting" to see if the cancer returns, or use radiation to treat the lymph nodes along the spine, where 20% of recurrences are located. Even if the cancer comes back, it is still very treatable with either radiation or chemotherapy in the majority of cases. Radiation treatment has an average recurrence rate of about 5%. Radiation can also be used after chemotherapy if any cancer remains.
Other types of testicular cancers are more resistant to radiation, and are more commonly treated with orchiectomy and removal of affected lymph nodes.
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