Liquid Biopsy Advances Treatment for Aggressive Testicular Cancer

Rome, February 23, 2026 – A simple blood test, known as a liquid biopsy, is now guiding treatment decisions for patients with advanced germ cell testicular tumors. The test identifies patients who will benefit most from high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, offering a path to definitive recovery.

Breakthrough Research from the Italian Germ Cell Cancer Group

The discovery stems from a study conducted by the IGG-Italian Germ Cell Cancer Group, a part of FICOG (Federation of Italian Cooperative Oncology Groups). This advancement holds significant promise for the over 400 patients in Italy each year diagnosed with the most advanced and serious forms of testicular cancer.

Testicular Cancer: A Rare but Serious Disease

“It is a neoplasm which has cure rates in advanced forms even higher than 80%,” explains Ugo De Giorgi, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Salento and President of the IGG. “It is a rare cancer but which at the same time is the most frequent among adolescents and adults under 40. Every year it records just over 2,300 new diagnoses and of these approximately 15-20% are difficult to treat as they are in an advanced stage with more aggressive and resistant to common conventional treatments. Testicular cancer has a great social impact because it often affects very young men for whom we cannot be satisfied only with ensuring a prolongation of life. We must be able to administer the best treatments capable of guaranteeing a definitive recovery from the disease even in the initially resistant advanced forms.”

How Liquid Biopsy Works

The IGG’s prospective clinical study was carried out at the Romagna Institute for the Study of Tumors IRST “Dino Amadori” in Meldola (FC), with molecular analyses led by Dr. Milena Urbini. Further analysis and publication took place in Utrecht (Holland) and at the University of Salento-Vito Fazzi Hospital in Lecce. The study involved 70 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplant after undergoing the blood test, alongside a cohort of 26 patients treated with conventional chemotherapy at the National Cancer Institute of Bratislava (Slovakia).

“The liquid biopsy is a blood test that evaluates the circulating tumor DNA and from this the optimal therapy is established,” continues Prof. De Giorgi. “In testicular carcinoma there are, in fact, genetic characteristics associated with a worse prognosis of the disease and which, at the same time, indicate those patients for whom the use of a more invasive but decisive treatment is essential. High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant can obtain results that are not yet achieved with “traditional” chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Liquid biopsy is therefore becoming a reality not only in the management of very widespread neoplasms, such as breast or lung cancer, but also in genitourinary tumors it can favor the personalization of therapies.”

The Future of Personalized Cancer Treatment

“This study demonstrates the fundamental role that independent clinical research in oncology can and must have,” concludes Prof. Giuseppe Procopio, President of FICOG. “The liquid biopsy is now an indispensable analysis tool that continues to present great potential. These must be explored through specific studies conducted on increasingly larger populations of patients. In particular, it is proving to really help clinicians in the delicate process of selecting treatments. Preventing patients, especially young ones, from invasive and ineffective treatments must be one of our priorities. The research, conducted from the IGG, is an essential first step in the direction of a standard use of the blood test in testicular cancer.”