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The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for the
United States:
- about 8,400 new cases of testicular cancer will be
diagnosed during 2009.
- about 380 men will die of testicular cancer
The rate of testicular cancer has been increasing in many
countries, including the United States. The increase is mostly in
seminomas. Experts have not been able to find reasons for this
increase. Lately, the rate of increase has slowed.
Testicular cancer is not common; a man's lifetime chance of
developing testicular cancer is about 1 in 300. Because treatment is so
successful, the risk of dying from this cancer is very low: about 1 in
5,000.
So you will understand some of the information about this
cancer, it is important to explain some terms. The 5-year survival rate
refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after
their cancer is diagnosed. Five-year rates are used to produce a
standard way of discussing prognosis. Of course, many people live much
longer than 5 years. Five-year
relative survival rates compare the observed survival of
people with testicular cancer with that expected for people without
testicular cancer. This means that relative survival for testicular
cancer refers only to deaths from testicular cancer.
Testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year relative
survival rate for all men with this cancer is 95%. If the cancer hasn't
spread outside the testicle, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%.
Even if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the 5-year
relative survival rate is 96%. If the cancer has spread beyond the
lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is around 71%. More than 170,000
men in the United States have survived testicular cancer.
Keep in mind that 5-year survival rates are based on patients
diagnosed and initially treated more than 5 years ago. Improvements in
treatment since then may result in an even more favorable outlook for
recently diagnosed patients.
Last Medical Review: 08/03/2009
Last Revised: 08/03/2009
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