One dose of chemotherapy is the best way to cure testicular cancer in many patients, a new study has suggested.

The Medical Research Council project found the treatment offered a similar relapse rate to radiotherapy - but with fewer side effects, the BBC reports.

Led by staff at UK academic institution Southampton, the study involved nearly 1,500 patients.

A total of 904 were given radiotherapy and 573 received carboplatin.

The rate of relapse in both conditions was roughly the same, with lead researcher Dr Ben Mead stating the results were reassuring and that carboplatin was the better option.

"Giving patients a carboplatin injection rather than radiotherapy is less unpleasant with fewer long-term risks," he adds.

The results are to be presented at the cancer conference in the UK today and the researchers are now looking for funding to carry out further work to see whether testicular cancer can be approached in a new way to avoid having to remove the whole testicle automatically.

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