radiotherapy
Last reviewed 01/2018
Local irradiation is used for bulky metastases in seminomas.
The dose and field depend on the histological type and the presence or absence of metastases. Treatment is given over a 5 to 6 week period. The minimum field runs from the scrotum to the 10th thoracic vertebra and includes the retroperitoneal lymphatics. Metastases in the lung are not usually irradiated owing to discomfort and the likelihood of causing pneumonitis.