Procedure
Radiation therapy (also known as radiotherapy) is used to treat testicular tumors—both seminomas and non-seminomas—at various stages of the disease, in combination with surgery and medical oncology, to achieve a cure (adjuvant radiation therapy). Radiation therapy focuses high-energy X-rays on the tumor inside the body to specifically kill it.
In the treatment of testicular cancer, surgical removal of the tumor is the treatment of choice for patients who are otherwise healthy. For seminomas, radiation therapy may be administered afterward as an alternative to chemotherapy. In this case, radiation is targeted specifically at the lymph nodes in the aorta and groin areas to prevent the tumor from spreading further.
If one testicle was preserved during surgery, radiation therapy of the remaining testicle may also be necessary to prevent a local recurrence.
The treatment is administered in multiple sessions on weekdays over a period of about 2–3 weeks. Spreading the radiation treatment over several weeks improves the tolerability of the treatment, which is mainly carried out on an outpatient basis and can be integrated into the patient’s private and professional life.
Radiation therapy is performed as an outpatient treatment, is non-invasive (i.e. does not require anesthesia) and can thus be easily integrated into everyday private and professional life. Close and personal support is a matter of course for us.
The Department of Radiation Oncology at the USZ uses only the most advanced techniques to provide precise radiation therapy for testicular cancer with minimal side effects. They are cared for by internationally renowned experts in research and treatment: Prof. M. Guckenberger and Dr. M. Mayinger.
Für viele Patientinnen und Patienten bieten wir schon heute die Behandlung von morgen an: in klinischen Studien arbeiten wir kontinuierlich daran die Behandlung des Hodenkrebses zu verbessern, um diese noch wirksamer und verträglicher zu gestalten. To the overview of currently open studies.
