Testicular cancer research
But the good news is that survival rates have increased dramatically. More than nine out of ten men with the disease are now cured. This is partly due to a drug called cisplatin, which Cancer Research UK helped to develop. But testicular cancer still causes around 70 deaths each year in the UK.
We provide information for men with testicular cancer and their families and friends on our patient website, CancerHelp UK.
You can also find out more about testicular cancer in our 'Cancers at a glance' section.
Understanding the causes
Cancer Research UK is funding scientists who are investigating the faulty genes that may lead to testicular cancer.
For example, Professor Mike Stratton at The Institute of Cancer Research in Surrey is searching for inherited gene faults that may cause the disease to run in families. And Professor Doug Easton and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge are hunting for faulty genes involved in testicular and prostate cancer.
Not only will their work help us to identify those most at risk of testicular cancer, but it may lead to better ways of diagnosing and treating this disease in the future.
Early detection
The earlier a cancer is detected, the greater the chances of successful treatment. Most cases of testicular cancer are found by men themselves, after carrying out self-examination.
At the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre in London, researchers are assessing the impact of providing men with information about testicular cancer. They are investigating whether this helps to inform them about the disease and the importance of self-checking, or if it causes unnecessary worry. This work will help to ensure that we provide relevant and effective health information for men.
It is important that people with cancer are diagnosed promptly, so treatment can start as soon as possible. But sometimes there can be delays before patients get treated, which may affect their outcome.
Dr Richard Neal at the University of Wales College of Medicine in Wrexham is investigating the best method of measuring these delays, and the reasons behind them. He is comparing a questionnaire that patients fill in themselves with a nurse asking them questions. In the future, the method that Dr Neal develops will be used to see if strategies to reduce these delays are successful.
Improving treatment
Thanks to progress in research, treatment for testicular cancer is usually very successful. Now Cancer Research UK is funding researchers who are investigating ways to refine and improve the treatment for this disease. Their work will help to reduce side effects from chemotherapy, as well as improve the outlook for men with testicular cancers that do not currently respond to treatment.
For example, at The Institute of Cancer Research in Surrey, Dr Robert Huddart is carrying out a clinical trial to compare two different combinations of chemotherapy. They hope to improve survival for men whose cancers are difficult to treat successfully.
Many men with testicular cancer are given a combination of drugs including one called bleomycin. But bleomycin sometimes causes lung damage, which can affect a man's quality of life. Dr Jonathan Shamash at Queen Mary's Medical School in London is testing whether giving bleomycin more slowly can help to reduce the side effects of the treatment, whilst still treating the cancer effectively.
Progress and future perspectives
- Rates of testicular cancer have been rising over the past thirty years, although this has dropped slightly in the UK in recent years
- But survival has also climbed impressively ñ now more than 98% of men with testicular cancer survive for five years or more
- We still need to develop effective treatments that have fewer long-term side effects
- Public awareness of the early signs of testicular cancer needs to be maintained through the provision of effective information
