Treatment for recurrent testicular cancer

When cancer comes back after it has been treated it is known as a recurrence or relapse. The risk of testicular cancer coming back depends on the type and stage of your testicular cancer. If a relapse is going to happen it is most likely to occur in the first two years after treatment. Unlike many cancers, even when testicular cancer does come back, it can still be cured.

Where in the body can testicular cancer recur?

Testicular cancer can recur in your other testicle or in other parts of the body such as lymph nodes or your lungs. This is why the CT scan is an important part of your follow-up.

How can recurrent testicular cancer be treated?

Chemotherapy

If you have already had chemotherapy your doctor may choose different drugs to give you if you have a relapse. 

High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell support

This isn’t often used, but can be used if your cancer did not respond to first-line chemotherapy. It allows you to have much higher doses of chemotherapy than usual to try to destroy any remaining testicular cancer cells. 

RPLND surgery

If the lymph nodes in your abdomen are affected by recurrent cancer, you may need surgery to remove the lymph nodes. Read more about RPLND surgery.