Booklet: What You Need to Know about Testicular Cancer

Followup Care


Regular followup exams are very important for anyone treated for testicular cancer. The doctor will continue to watch the patient closely for several years to be sure the cancer is completely gone. If the cancer does recur, it is very important for the doctor to detect it right away and start additional treatment.

Followup care may vary for different types and stages of testicular cancer. Generally, patients are checked and have blood tests to measure tumor marker levels every month for the first 2 years after treatment. They also have regular x-rays and scans. After that, checkups may be needed just once or twice a year. Testicular cancer seldom recurs after a patient has been free of the disease for 3 years.

Patients who have been treated for cancer in one testicle have about a 1 percent chance of developing cancer in the remaining one. If cancer does arise in the second testicle, it is nearly always a new disease rather than a metastasis from the first tumor. Patients should be checked regularly by their doctor. Between checkups, they should report any unusual symptoms to the doctor without delay.

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