Most boys and men develop cancer in only one testicle. The remaining testicle usually can make enough testosterone to maintain fertility. If the other testicle needs to be removed because the cancer is in both testicles, or if new cancer develops in the other testicle, testosterone will need to be taken in some form for the rest of a patient’s life. Most often this is a gel or patch that is put on the skin or a monthly injection (shot). Infertility can also be an issue later in life for boys who have had testicular cancer. If a patient has already gone through puberty, sperm banking is often a good option, since the frozen samples are not damaged by long periods of storage. In some cases, if one testicle is left, fertility returns after testicular cancer have been treated. Fertility could return about 2 years after chemotherapy stops.
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