95% recover from testicular cancer - but consequences linger for years
Preliminary findings from a first-of-its-kind Israeli study led by Beilinson Medical Center highlight long-term impacts of testicular cancer: over 60% of survivors report psychological effects, 41% report erectile dysfunction, and 66% of those who did not preserve sperm regret the decision. "It is not enough for the patient to recover; it is important to understand how to preserve his quality of life."
Testicular cancer is the most common malignant tumor among young men, with recovery rates reaching an impressive 95%. However, for many, the end of treatment does not mark the end of the struggle: consequences for sexual health, fertility, and body image often persist for years.
Three years have passed since comedian Guy Hochman underwent an orchiectomy (removal of a testicle). Since then, his life has changed not only due to the illness but also because of the hundreds of men who reach out to him for support. "Patients' concerns almost never deal with the cancer itself," he tells mako Health. "The first questions are about sexual function, then fertility. Soldiers and young men fear how it will affect their relationships and what will happen if a partner finds out about the surgery. Not every date leads to marriage, and not everyone wants to explain it every time."
"We are men, we need to get checked"
Hochman notes that many men are ashamed to discuss testicular removal or the question of prosthetic implants. "I can understand those who struggle with body image. On the other hand, some married men say, 'I have children, why do I need a prosthesis?' Everyone comes from a different place." Hochman himself admits he never felt the disease damaged his self-esteem: "When doctors said the testicle had to be removed, my first thought was that I had something to laugh about. But I know men who are deeply ashamed, which is why I wanted to lighten the subject. We are men, this is a relatively common cancer, you need to get checked. At most, you have surgery. We're scratching ourselves all day at home anyway, so what's the problem with scratching a little more?"
Eran Braunstein, 40, from Rishon LeZion, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 29, recalls that sperm preservation was the last thing on his mind at the time: "I was in a difficult state, suffering a lot, and masturbating into a plastic cup was the last thing I wanted to do." However, his wife, Esti, insisted on the procedure. Thanks to this, the couple had twins, then another set of twins, and two months ago, they had another son conceived naturally, despite previous predictions of infertility. "Today I am a father of five, and I am grateful for it every day," he says.
A Comprehensive Quality-of-Life Study
The concerns raised by Hochman and Braunstein are now at the center of a first-of-its-kind Israeli study led by Beilinson Medical Center in collaboration with 12 hospitals. The project, conducted under the Israeli Urologic Oncology Group (IUOC), examines the long-term impact of the disease on mental health, sexual function, and fertility.
"Until now, we knew how to cure the disease, but we knew little about what happens to patients 10, 20, or 30 years later," says Dr. Nadav Dekel, the lead researcher. "We want to understand how decisions made in the first days after diagnosis affect people years down the road." Prof. Shay Golan, director of the urology department at Beilinson, emphasizes: "Precisely because these are young people with decades of life ahead, we must look beyond the cure itself. It is not enough for the patient to recover; it is important to preserve his quality of life."
