Management of Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in males age 15-40 years and one of the most curable cancers, with a cumulative 10-year survival rate exceeding 90%. Management strategies depend on the histologic subtype, stage at diagnosis, sites of disease, tumor markers, and risk classification. Germ cell tumors, including seminomas and nonseminomas, constitute the majority of testicular cancers and require distinct therapeutic approaches. For localized disease, radical orchidectomy remains the cornerstone of treatment, followed by active surveillance, chemotherapy, or primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, depending on the histology and the risk of relapse. Seminomas are highly curable, with low-stage patients often managed through surveillance or postoperative single-agent carboplatin. By contrast, nonseminomas typically require adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy, such as bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, particularly in higher-risk patients. For metastatic disease, chemotherapy remains the standard of care, achieving excellent cure rates even in patients with bulky tumors. Surgical resection of residual masses is especially critical in nonseminomatous germ cell tumors to remove viable cancer or teratoma components. The treatment of refractory or relapsed disease frequently involves second-line standard-dose or high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation, ideally performed in specialized high-volume centers. Before, during, and after treatment, multidisciplinary care is essential to addressing psychosocial challenges, optimizing fertility preservation, and enhancing quality of life. After curative treatments, long-term management involves regular follow-up to monitor for recurrence, late toxicities, and secondary malignancies, with survivorship programs playing a crucial role in meeting patients' ongoing needs. Advances in molecular diagnostics for early relapse detection and the introduction of targeted therapies continue to improve outcomes, particularly in resistant patients.