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Even though testicular cancer has a great survival rate, finding better treatment options is still vital and important in order for researchers and doctors to successfully beat this type of cancer in every single patient. According to the statistics, around 96 percent of men who get diagnosed with testicular cancer survive it for at least 10 years. After 10 years post diagnosis of being cancer free, the cancer is then considered cured. Despite the fact that men beat this disease the majority of the time, they might still suffer from long-term side effects. In a new study, researchers examined the effects of using a new treatment plan with the hopes of lowering these side effects.

For this pilot study, the researchers recruited 51 men who were diagnosed with stage IIA and IIB testicular seminoma, which is when the cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes located in the abdomen. The majority of the men in this study were younger than 50-years-old but encompassed the age range of 18 to 73-years-old. The researchers gave the patients only one cycle of the chemotherapy drug called carboplatin, which is a form of chemotherapy that is less toxic. They then waited three to four weeks before administering the radiotherapy.

The researchers found that this type of treatment plan was effective in the majority of the patients. After an average followed up of 4.5 years, the researchers did not record any relapses of the cancer. The relapse rate is around five to 11 percent for patients who receive radiotherapy only. The chemotherapy drug also allowed the doctors to give fewer radiation doses since the patients no longer needed it. The researchers stated that the side effects of the drugs were short and mild.

"The aim of the study was to develop an effective non-toxic treatment with low risk of long-term treatment complications, and our findings suggest that a single cycle of carboplatin before radiotherapy may reduce the chances of cancer reappearing compared with radiotherapy alone. This will reduce the risk that these patients would need combination chemotherapy. Not only that, but by adding carboplatin to the therapy, the radiation dose and volume can be lowered," the lead investigator, Dr. Robert Huddart said according to Medical Xpress. Huddart is the team leader in the Division of Radiation and Imaging at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the consultant at The Royal Marsden.

The sample set for this study was very small and more research would need to be done before this treatment option is deemed viable to follow for testicular cancer patients. The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, Cancer Research UK, and the NIHR Biomedical Research Center at the Royal Marsden all helped fund the research. The study was published in the Annals of Oncology.