Further tests for testicular cancer

If the removal of your testicle and initial tests show that you have cancer, you may have further tests to see whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes or other organs. These tests may also be used during or after treatment to check how well the treatment has worked.

Learn more about:

• CT scan
• MRI scan
• PET scan

CT scan

You will have a computerised tomography (CT) scan of your chest, abdomen and pelvis. Sometimes this is done before the orchidectomy.

A CT scan uses x-rays to take pictures of the inside of your body and then compiles them into one detailed, cross-sectional picture. To make the scan pictures clearer and easier to read, you may have to fast (not eat or drink) for a period of time before your appointment.

Before the scan, you may be given an injection of a dye into a vein in your arm to make the pictures clearer. This injection can make you feel hot all over for a few minutes. You might also feel like you need to urinate, but this sensation won’t last long. You may be asked to drink a liquid instead of having an injection.

You will lie flat on a table while the CT scanner, which is large and round like a doughnut, takes pictures. The test is painless and takes about 15 minutes.

MRI scan

In some circumstances, such as if you have an allergy to the dye normally used for a CT scan, you may instead have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. An MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. Sometimes, a dye will be injected into a vein before the scan to help make the pictures clearer.

You will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder that is open at both ends. The machine makes a series of bangs and clicks and can be quite noisy. The scan is painless, but some people feel anxious lying in the narrow cylinder. Tell your doctor or nurse beforehand if you are prone to anxiety or claustrophobia. They can suggest breathing exercises or give you medicine to help you relax. The scan takes about 30 minutes, and most people are able to go home as soon as it is over.

PET scan

In some circumstances, you may also be given a positron emission tomography (PET) scan combined with a CT scan. You will be injected with a small amount of a glucose (sugar) solution containing some radioactive material, then asked to rest for 30–60 minutes while the solution spreads throughout your body before you have the scan. Cancer cells show up more brightly on the scan because they absorb more of the glucose solution than normal cells do.

It may take a few hours to prepare for a PET–CT scan, but the scan itself usually takes about 15 minutes. The radioactive material in the glucose solution is not harmful and will leave your body within a few hours.