Stage 0 testicular cancer is limited to the small tubes inside your testicles that produce sperm. It hasn’t spread to nearby or distant organs or caused an increase in tumor markers in your blood.
Testicular cancer can be broken into stages 0, 1, 2, and 3 under the TNM staging system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). Unlike many other types of cancer, testicular cancer doesn’t have a stage 4.
Stage 0 testicular cancer usually has an excellent outlook. If treatment is required, it usually involves either removal of the testicle or radiation therapy.
This article takes a deeper look at stage 0 testicular cancer, including symptoms, treatment options, and outlook.
Stage 0 testicular cancer is the earliest stage of testicular cancer. It’s also called germ cell neoplasia in situ.
Stage 0 cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms. The cancer may be discovered incidentally during imaging for an unrelated reason.
For example, it’s not uncommon for doctors to find it during an examination following a traumatic injury to a person’s testicles. Doctors may also find it after surgery to remove a testicle.
Stage 0 testicular cancer is located only in the seminiferous tubules, which are small tubes found inside each of your testicles that produce sperm. At this stage, the cancer has not spread beyond your testicle, and blood tests don’t reveal any abnormalities.
Doctors may
- regular monitoring with ultrasound
- removal of testicle
- radiation therapy
What’s the outlook for a person with stage 0 testicular cancer?
Testicular cancer has one of the
Learn more about the survival rates for testicular cancer.
The AJCC’s TNM staging system groups testicular cancer based on four factors:
- T: the size and extent of the tumor
- N: whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes
- M: whether the cancer has spread to distant body parts
- S: whether blood tests reveal elevated levels of the following tumor markers:
- lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
- human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
- alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
It’s worth noting that LDH has a high false-positive rate and should not be used alone as a tumor marker for germ cell tumors. Yet it is a good indicator of the tumor stage because the LDH level is higher in more advanced stages of the condition.
HCG is a pregnancy hormone that is also present in the blood serum of people with germ cell tumors.
AFP is produced by certain, but not all, testis tumors.
Here’s a look at the
| Stage | Substage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 0 | — | The cancer is contained in your testicle’s tubules. |
| Stage 1 | — | The cancer has grown outside these tubules and possibly outside the testicle. Tumor marker test results aren’t available. |
| 1A | The cancer has grown outside the tubules but is contained to the testicle. Tumor marker levels are typical. | |
| 1B | The cancer has grown in nearby tissue. Tumor marker levels are typical. | |
| 1S | The tumor is any size and tumor marker levels are slightly higher than usual. | |
| Stage 2 | — | The tumor is any size and has spread to at least 1 nearby lymph node. Tumor marker test results aren’t available. |
| 2A | The tumor is any size and has spread to 1–5 nearby lymph nodes that are smaller than about 0.8 inches (in), or 2 centimeters (cm), across. No more than 1 tumor marker is slightly elevated. | |
| 2B | The tumor is any size and no more than 1 tumor marker is elevated. You may have: • cancer in at least 1 nearby lymph node between 0.8–2 in (2-5 cm) • cancer growth outside a lymph node • cancer in more than 5 lymph nodes | |
| 2C | The tumor is any size and has spread to at least 1 nearby lymph node larger than 2 in (5 cm) across. At least 1 tumor marker is slightly elevated. | |
| Stage 3 | — | The cancer has spread to distant body parts and tumor marker test results aren’t available. |
| 3A | The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or the lungs. At least 1 tumor marker is slightly elevated. | |
| 3B | The cancer has spread to at least 1 nearby lymph node and at least 1 tumor marker is elevated. OR The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or the lungs and at least 1 tumor marker is elevated. | |
| 3C | At least 1 tumor maker is very high but the cancer hasn’t spread to distant areas. OR The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or the lungs and at least 1 tumor marker is extremely high. OR The cancer has spread to distant areas other than the lungs or lymph nodes. |
What type of testicular cancer has the best outlook?
More than
What is the life expectancy of a person with testicular cancer?
The 5-year relative survival rate for people in the United States diagnosed with testicular cancer, at any stage, from 2012–2018 was
How quickly does testicular cancer spread?
Testicular cancer can grow rapidly compared with many other types of cancer. It may double in size every
Can you live 20 years after testicular cancer?
If your testicular cancer is successfully treated, it might never affect your lifespan. Most cancers that return do so within 5 years. For this reason, doctors sometimes call your cancer cured if you have no signs of cancer for at least
Stage 0 testicular cancer is confined to the small tubes inside of one of your testicles. It doesn’t cause any symptoms and is often found incidentally during imaging for unrelated reasons.
People with stage 0 testicular cancer usually have an excellent outlook if it’s treated promptly. If you require treatment, it most often involves removing the affected testicle or radiation therapy.