Natural progression of testis tumors is typically fairly rapid. Therefore, intensive follow-up of men treated for testis tumors is needed for the first several years after initial therapy.

Unfortunately, late recurrence of testis tumors can also occur. Several subsets of men with testis cancer need longer follow-up or more intensive treatment than has been previously proposed. Men who have had tumors of the retroperitoneum (the lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen) need to have complete removal of all lymph nodes, not just removal of obviously affected nodes or a limited number of lymph nodes. For those men who have had lymph node sampling alone should have a complete surgical lymph node resection.

In addition, men who have had apparently successful treatment may remain at risk for late recurrences many years after initial treatment, especially after chemotherapy. Chemotherapy may reduce aggressive tumors to teratomas or other "benign" lesions that may subsequently degenerate into aggressive cancers that are relatively resistant to standard chemotherapy and may require surgical treatment. Yearly follow-up has been suggested by some for men rendered "disease-free" by chemotherapy.