Once testicular cancer has been diagnosed and classified, the next step is
to find out the stage of the cancer. “Staging” is determining how far it has
spread from the testicle to other parts of the body. Staging procedures include
blood tests, surgery (sometimes), and any or all of the various scans listed
below.
CT or CAT scan—a series of x rays of various sections of the body.
Intravenous pyelography (IVP)— a special dye is administered through
an I.V. that outlines the urinary system for x-rays.
Lymphangiography—x-rays are taken with a special dye outlining the
abdomen’s lymph system.
Ultrasonography—pictures are created from the echoes of high-frequency
wound waves bounced off internal organs.
There are 3 stages of testicular cancer:
Stage I—the cancer has not spread beyond the testicles.
Stage II—the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.
Stage III—the cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes, perhaps as
far as the lungs.