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Hey guys,
I am a new member but I am not new to this site as it has been a very useful resource over the last year. I am 32 with 2 children. We have a 3 year old boy, pre-cancer and a 3 week old boy, conceived after the first cancer. I am a TCx2 Survivor and this is my story.
In September 2006, eleven months after diagnosis and radical I/O of the left testicle A dull intermittent pain in my remaining right testicle worsened. In a couple days I could feel an irregularity in texture. I knew exactly what was happening. The ultrasound clearly showed an intra-testicular mass. The Urologist recommended an orchiectomy. As you might expect I was very reluctant to sacrifice my last testicle without a fight and I was not interested in beginning testosterone replacement therapy. Through a family friend (Pathologist and TC survivor) I learned radical orchiectomy is not always performed for contra lateral testicular cancer. Surgeons are, in some cases, able to dissect the tumor and salvage the testicle. It is not clear if there is a higher rate of recurrence for this procedure however any risk might be manageable considering a compliant patient and a desire to avoid hormone replacement therapy.
We sent ultrasound films to Dr Bihrle in Indiana to determine if I was a candidate for the organ sparing surgery. I was willing to travel for the procedure but began to interview local doctors for the procedure upon learning I was in fact a candidate. The candidacy/success of the procedure is dependant on the size of the tumor, location of the tumor and if clear margins could not be obtained radical orchiectomy would be required.
BCBS went above and beyond what I could have expected. With their help we interviewed over 70 local surgeons in a day and a half. None had performed the surgery. Two were willing to do the procedure. The surgeon I selected quickly addressed my primary concern. Although he had not performed this exact procedure he had, on numerous occasions stitched damaged testicles back together after trauma. Also, he would consult with the experts in Indiana to learn the particulars.
The surgery went well. The partial orchiectomy left me with about 80% of fully functioning testicle, though the procedure is followed by local radiation and radiation would leave me sterile. Recovery was comparable to the radical orchiectomy with the obvious exception being a very tender testicle rather than an empty scrotum. Pathology reported an embryonal carcinoma and yolk sac tumor. The dissected margins were grossly clear but there was lymphovascular invasion and ITGC.
Again, we consulted Indiana. Dr Einhorn reviewed the reports and indicated this was a new cancer and not a recurrence. Both Dr Einhorn and Dr Bihrle noted surveillance may be an option only after local radiation therapy and if AFP returns to normal. AFP returned to normal as expected and radiation therapy began 4 weeks after surgery, giving the testicle time to heal. I completed the radiation last week. The side effects of the radiation were negligible. Fatigue and soreness were noticeable but minimal when considering the big picture.
Today, I feel great. My next CT is scheduled for December. Perhaps I can find some eggnog flavored contrast? Ah yess, eggnog – contrast doesn’t sound so bad afterall.
I feel an obligation to share my experience. Particularly with the partial IO since I had dificulty finding much information on the topic. I would be happy to help anyone in the TC fight as this site has been so helpful to me.
-Rover (Chris)
I am a new member but I am not new to this site as it has been a very useful resource over the last year. I am 32 with 2 children. We have a 3 year old boy, pre-cancer and a 3 week old boy, conceived after the first cancer. I am a TCx2 Survivor and this is my story.
In September 2006, eleven months after diagnosis and radical I/O of the left testicle A dull intermittent pain in my remaining right testicle worsened. In a couple days I could feel an irregularity in texture. I knew exactly what was happening. The ultrasound clearly showed an intra-testicular mass. The Urologist recommended an orchiectomy. As you might expect I was very reluctant to sacrifice my last testicle without a fight and I was not interested in beginning testosterone replacement therapy. Through a family friend (Pathologist and TC survivor) I learned radical orchiectomy is not always performed for contra lateral testicular cancer. Surgeons are, in some cases, able to dissect the tumor and salvage the testicle. It is not clear if there is a higher rate of recurrence for this procedure however any risk might be manageable considering a compliant patient and a desire to avoid hormone replacement therapy.
We sent ultrasound films to Dr Bihrle in Indiana to determine if I was a candidate for the organ sparing surgery. I was willing to travel for the procedure but began to interview local doctors for the procedure upon learning I was in fact a candidate. The candidacy/success of the procedure is dependant on the size of the tumor, location of the tumor and if clear margins could not be obtained radical orchiectomy would be required.
BCBS went above and beyond what I could have expected. With their help we interviewed over 70 local surgeons in a day and a half. None had performed the surgery. Two were willing to do the procedure. The surgeon I selected quickly addressed my primary concern. Although he had not performed this exact procedure he had, on numerous occasions stitched damaged testicles back together after trauma. Also, he would consult with the experts in Indiana to learn the particulars.
The surgery went well. The partial orchiectomy left me with about 80% of fully functioning testicle, though the procedure is followed by local radiation and radiation would leave me sterile. Recovery was comparable to the radical orchiectomy with the obvious exception being a very tender testicle rather than an empty scrotum. Pathology reported an embryonal carcinoma and yolk sac tumor. The dissected margins were grossly clear but there was lymphovascular invasion and ITGC.
Again, we consulted Indiana. Dr Einhorn reviewed the reports and indicated this was a new cancer and not a recurrence. Both Dr Einhorn and Dr Bihrle noted surveillance may be an option only after local radiation therapy and if AFP returns to normal. AFP returned to normal as expected and radiation therapy began 4 weeks after surgery, giving the testicle time to heal. I completed the radiation last week. The side effects of the radiation were negligible. Fatigue and soreness were noticeable but minimal when considering the big picture.
Today, I feel great. My next CT is scheduled for December. Perhaps I can find some eggnog flavored contrast? Ah yess, eggnog – contrast doesn’t sound so bad afterall.
I feel an obligation to share my experience. Particularly with the partial IO since I had dificulty finding much information on the topic. I would be happy to help anyone in the TC fight as this site has been so helpful to me.
-Rover (Chris)
testosterone implants May 2008
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