Making Hard Decisions About Testicular Cancer

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is never easy, but it becomes even more complicated when you feel pressured to make a decision about your treatment.  The first and most obvious thing you will do in this time and era is to check out the internet, google away  to see what treatment options you have. Check the implications of going through one treatment over going through the other treatment and it’s only normal to do that, because obviously, no one wants to lose a ball.

Well, depending on the stage your cancer is at, the treatment options are different. For those diagnosed with the disease.

 Stage 1 testicular cancer, surgery is usually done, to remove the whole testical, after which your doctor will put you under surveillance to keep you in check just in case the cancer comes back. In cases where the doctor suspects that your cancer may come back, you might have chemotherapy.

For stage 2 patients, after surgery  further treatment depends on the stage of the cancer;

• For stage 2A you might have radiotherapy. You might also have chemotherapy
• For stage 2B you might have radiotherapy or chemotherapy
• For stage 2C you usually have chemotherapy.

For stage 3 testicular cancer you usually have chemotherapy after your testicle is removed.

After the chemotherapy, if you have seminoma, you won’t need further treatment. Your doctor will monitor you regularly.

After chemotherapy for a non seminoma cancer you might have surgery. This is to remove lymph nodes in the back of your tummy (abdomen) or cancer cells in the lung. You only have the surgery if the cancer hasn’t shrunk completely.

However, you can save yourself the agony of having to lose a testicle by going in for regular screenings. For our testicular cancer #cancer soldiers, all they need is our support and assurance that tomorrow will always be a better day. Support them, show them love and affection. Be the vigilante they wish for. Put a smile on their face, it doesn’t cost that much.

*A Seminoma is a germ cell tumor of the testicle or, more rarely, the mediastinum or other extra-gonadal locations. It is a malignant neoplasm and is one of the most treatable and curable cancers, with a survival rate above 95%.

Finally, join the conversation on our social media pages;

Facebook; @cancersoldiers.

Twitter; Eddahs_Hope.

Instagram; Eddahs_hope.

Most importantly, #getscreened.