Frequently asked questions
Will I receive confirmation that the patient I have referred
has been seen?
All patients who are seen by the Bristol Testicular Cancer
Service team will send a copy of the first consultation annotation
to the patient's GP and referring urologist.
The patient I am about to operate on has severe back pain
- should I continue?
It is advisable to contact one of the consultants and discuss
the case prior to surgery as this patient may be at High Risk. The
team may decide the best option for the patient is to have
chemotherapy immediately without histological confirmation.
What do I do if the patient would like to store sperm storage
prior to surgery?
Bristol Testicular Cancer Team are able to arrange sperm storage
Monday to Friday, but not as yet, out of hours. There is a Standard
Operating Procedure for sperm storage, the Germ Cell CNS and the
BHOC outpatient nurses are happy to arrange this for you. Patients
can have relevant virology blood tests carried out locally, however
the pre-storage funding from PCT's for sperm storage for the
service is based at Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine at
Southmead Hospital.
What do I do if the patient refuses to be referred to Bristol
because of the distance?
We know that patients who have testicular care fare better if
they are seen by a specialist team; this is explained to all
patients during their first consultation. The Germ Cell CNS is able
to get financial help with travel expenses, especially if the
patient requires chemotherapy. We can also refund travel fares and
reduce parking costs, details are available on the
BHOC main
website
