Monitoring (surveillance) for testicular cancer

You might not need further treatment after you have surgery to remove your testicle. But you have regular tests. These are to check for early signs of the cancer coming back so that it can be found and treated early. Doctors call this surveillance. 

Your doctor can tell you about your risk of the cancer coming back and discuss the best plan for you. Treatment can cure most men even if the cancer comes back during surveillance.

You usually have surveillance for at least 5 years. You have regular tests and appointments, depending on your situation. 

Who has surveillance for testicular cancer?

You might have surveillance if you have stage 1 testicular cancer and the risk of your cancer coming back is low.

Your doctor will assess several factors that affect the risk of your cancer coming back. They will discuss your risk of the cancer coming back with you. And they will also tell you about what surveillance involves. 

You can start treatment if there is any sign that your cancer has come back. 

Appointments

It's very important to go to your monitoring appointments. If the cancer comes back it will be found when it’s small and treatment can cure it.

You usually see your doctor:

• every 3 months if you have non seminoma
• every 6 months if you have seminoma

Over time, the risk of the cancer coming back goes down. Your appointments become less frequent.

Your doctor will examine you and check your other testicle. They will ask you how you feel. You can tell your doctor about:

• any new or ongoing symptoms
• any emotional or sexual problems caused by the cancer or treatment

This helps your doctor give you the best care and support.

Tests

You usually have some tests, although you might not have all of these tests at each appointment. Tests include:

• blood tests to check the tumour marker levels
• chest x-rays
• CT or MRI scans

If the cancer comes back

If your tumour markers go up or scans show that the cancer has come back, you will need more treatment. You usually have chemotherapy.

There is still a very high chance that the treatment will cure the cancer. 

How you might feel

Some people find it very stressful to know that they need monitoring. You can talk this through with your doctor or specialist nurse. They can:

• reassure you
• explain how often you will have checks
• explain the treatment you may have if the cancer does come back

There is currently no evidence linking stress to cancer.

Counselling

It can be very helpful to have counselling after cancer treatment or during longer term treatments.

What you can do for yourself

To keep healthy and feel you are doing something positive you can:

• eat a healthy diet
• try to learn to relax
• try to stop smoking
• note any new symptoms and report them to your doctor or nurse

A diet high in fresh fruit, vegetables and fish and low in animal fats is good for your health.

Relaxing will help you feel better and may help you cope better too. You could try a new hobby or relaxation techniques.