Is treatment for testicular cancer generally successful?
Testicular cancer has become one of the most curable solid malignancies for patients with low-stage disease; the cure rate approaches 100 percent. Even for patients with intermediate or early-advanced disease, the cure rates are better than 85 percent. This really is because of the development of effective chemotherapy and effective surgical approaches, as well as radiation for selected patients. Can sexual function and fertility be affected by treatment? Fertility certainly can be affected by treatment. First of all, patients who have lost one testicle may be subfertile for some period of time and some may be subfertile permanently. Chemotherapy also adversely affects sperm production. Approximately half of the patients will recover fertility within approximately two years. The surgical approaches also can have some impact, not on potency or erections, but upon ejaculation. There are certain nerves in the surgical area that control ejaculation and with the techniques utilized nowadays
