Organ sparing surgery in testicular cancer

Abstract

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst young adult men. The gold standard of treatment for a testicular tumor is a radical orchidectomy, where the testis and spermatic cord are removed, however up to 50% of testicular pathology is benign and these patients are being overtreated. Organsparing surgery can be an alternative for patients with small, indeterminate testicular lesions and normal tumor markers. It can also be considered as an option for patients with tumors in a solitary testis, or where bilateral tumors are present. Combined with frozen section examination, tumors can safely be removed, and any residual disease identified intraoperatively. Organ-sparing surgery has safe oncological outcomes, with low recurrence rates on follow up data. It also provides a beneficial effect on the fertility and the hormonal profile of these patients. As these patients have a >95% survival rate, providing a high quality of life should be prioritized.