Program Director: Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH
Medical Director: Alexandra Drakaki, MD
Being diagnosed with testicular cancer is often the beginning of a stressful and confusing time in a man's life. Obtaining information about the disease and treatment options can often help reduce this stress and aid in the personal decision-making process. The UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology (the "IUO") and its multidisciplinary team of world-renown physicians and scientists are working together as a team to personalize patient care and to develop revolutionary treatments for men diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Each year almost American 9,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer. The typical age at diagnosis ranges from 18 to 35 with an average age of 33. Although it is not common, about 1 of every 263 males will develop testicular cancer during his lifetime. Long term overall survival in most cases surpasses 95%, resulting in an estimated 266,550 testicular cancer survivors in the United States. We generally think of it as a curable cancer.
The UCLA IUO’s Testicular Cancer Program includes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team offering the latest treatments and compassionate, individualized care. Patients with testicular cancer have the benefit of our long-held team approach that includes world-class urologic oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, fertility and men’s health specialists, psychologists, nurses, and our clinical trials group. Long term follow-up care coordination is imperative to treatment, and the UCLA IUO utilizes its deep resources and wide network of community-based care providers and facilities to ensure the highest quality long term management.
Meet our expert team >
The UCLA IUO offers a variety of innovative treatment options to patients who have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, including standard and minimally invasive robotic surgery, as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Treatment plans are individualized to each patient’s cancer type and stage, as well as general state of health. The UCLA IUO’s bi-weekly case conferences bring together a multidisciplinary team that provides a forum with diverse, specialized perspectives for deciding upon the best option for each individual patient. Dr. Litwin is one of the nation’s most experienced testicular cancer surgeons specializing in robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and meticulous removal of residual masses after chemotherapy.
UCLA Urologist Mark Litwin, MD, presented a live-streaming webinar to discuss the basics of testicular cancer diagnosis and treatment. He presented a path to cure for almost all men.
View Webinar >
Learn more about how we diagnose and treat testicular cancer >
The UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology maintains multiple and diverse research programs for urologic cancers, leading to ground-breaking clinical trials offered to our UCLA patients. For testicular cancer, researchers have found in recent years that variations in certain genes may increase the risk of testicular cancer. While further studies are needed, these discoveries may help identify men at higher risk. Scientists are also trying to learn more about the changes in the DNA of testicular cancer cells. The hope is that with better understanding about the causes of testicular cancer, better treatment options will become available to those men diagnosed with this disease. Other areas of UCLA IUO research in men with testicular cancer include long-term survivorship, quality of life, and access to care.
Clinical trials at the UCLA Institute of Urologic Oncology evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new ways to diagnose and treat testicular cancer, and play an important role in the development of future treatments for those with this disease. For example, studies have found factors that help predict which patients may not need lymph node surgery or radiation therapy, or which patients may benefit from more intense treatment.
For an appointment with a UCLA testicular cancer specialist, call (310) 794-7700.
