Radiation Therapy for Testicular Cancer
NYU Langone specialists may recommend radiation therapy as a treatment for men with an early type of testicular tumor called a seminoma.
Radiation therapy uses energy beams to destroy cancer cells. Sometimes radiation therapy is used after orchiectomy, or testicle-removing surgery, and is directed at the lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen to ensure that any cancer cells that may have spread are destroyed. It can also be used to treat seminoma cancer cells that have already spread to the lymph nodes if the nodes are small, which can be measured on CT scans.
Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy
Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy allows doctors to deliver radiation beams tailored to the size, shape, and location of the tumor. During this procedure, the radiation beams are aimed from different directions to ensure that the treatment targets the entire tumor. Doctors plan treatment with computer software to minimize the risk of radiation harming healthy tissue.
Treatment is delivered once a day for five days a week over the course of two or three weeks. Breaking the radiation therapy into doses called fractions helps doctors deliver enough therapy to effectively treat the tumor, while sparing healthy tissue and reducing the risk of side effects.
Managing Side Effects
Side effects of radiation therapy often include nausea and fatigue. NYU Langone doctors actively monitor your wellbeing, and offer ongoing integrative health services, as well as rehabilitative support, for any symptoms you may experience. Symptoms tend to subside after radiation therapy is complete.
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