# Orchiectomy

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/orchiectomy/  
OnCo record `orchiectomy` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Surgical removal of a testicle: the diagnostic and first curative step for testicular cancer, or of both, as a cheap permanent form of hormone therapy in prostate cancer.

## Summary

Radical inguinal orchiectomy (through the groin, not the scrotum, to avoid seeding) removes the tumour and gives the histology (seminoma vs non-seminoma) that guides surveillance, carboplatin or BEP chemotherapy. Bilateral orchiectomy lowers testosterone to castrate levels within hours and remains the most cost-effective androgen deprivation worldwide, though most men choose GnRH drugs for reversibility. Testosterone falls to castrate levels permanently, so the hot flushes, bone loss and fatigue of androgen deprivation follow.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: orchidectomy; radical inguinal orchiectomy; surgical castration; bilateral orchiectomy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchiectomy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchiectomy

## Connected records

- terms: [Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)](https://onco.cc/terms/adt/), [Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)](https://onco.cc/terms/castration-resistance/)
- cancers: [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)
- fronts: [Hormonal Therapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/hormonal/), [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/orchiectomy.json