Study Claims 96 Percent of UK Men Now Survive Testicular Cancer

There has been a 30 per cent rise in the rate of men surviving testicular cancer in the UK.

Based on the latest statistics, 96 percent of men survive testicular cancer in the UK compared to 1970, when less than 70 percent of the men survived it. This change is largely due to the drug 'cisplatin'.

In the UK alone, every year nearly 2,300 cases of testicular cancers are being diagnosed. It is one of the most common cancers affecting men between the ages 15-49.

"A clear success story in cancer research has been the drug cisplatin, which our scientists helped to develop. This is helping almost all men with testicular cancer to beat the disease and is a shining example of what we can achieve through dedicated research," Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's, chief executive, said in a press statement.

In the U.S. nearly 7,000-8,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer annually. This cancer has one of the highest cure rates. Modern chemotherapy offers a cure rate of nearly 80 percent. In 2010, 8,000 deaths occurred as a result of testicular cancer.

According to Martin Ledwick, the head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, one of the most common symptoms of testicular cancer is a lump or swelling in one of the testicles. Though, most of the lumps don't turn into cancer, it is crucial that the symptoms are examined at the earliest.

Kumar concluded saying, "For some types of cancer, the word 'cure' is almost a reality - 96 per cent of men with testicular cancer are now cured. But it's important we recognize the four per cent who aren't surviving the disease, as well as the fact that we still need treatments to be kinder to patients in the future. It's only by doing more research that we can bring forward the day when we are able to beat all types of cancer."