Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer forms in a man's testicles, the two egg-shaped glands that produce sperm and testosterone. Testicular cancer mainly affects young men between the ages of 20 and 39. It is also more common in men who

Have had abnormal testicle development
Have had an undescended testicle
Have a family history of the cancer

Symptoms include pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area. Most cases can be treated, especially if it is found early. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Regular exams after treatment are important. Treatments may also cause infertility. If you may want children later on, you should consider sperm banking before treatment.

National Cancer Institute

Testicular Cancer on Wikipedia

'''Testicular cancer''' is a type of cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. In the United States, about 8,000 to 9,000 men are diagnosed with this disease each year. Over a lifetime, the chance of getting testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250 (4/10th of one percent). It is most common among males ages 15 through 40. Thankfully, testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers, in excess of 90%, and essentially 100% if it has not spread. Even for the relatively few cases where it is has spread widely, chemotherapy offers at least a fifty percent chance of a cure.

Symptoms and early detection

As testicular cancer is curable when detected early, experts recommend regular monthly testicular self-examination after a hot shower when the scrotum is looser. Men should examine each testicle first feeling for lumps then, compare them together to see if one is bigger than the other. Symptoms include a lump in one testicle, pain and tenderness in testicles, blood in sperm during ejaculation, build up of fluid in the scrotum, enlargement or tenderness of breasts, a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin, and an increase, or significant decrease, in the size of one testicle. Men should report any of these to a physician as soon as possible. Whether testicular cancer exists or not (and its extent) is evaluated by ultrasound (of the testicles) and X-rays, including CT-scans, looking for tumors. For nonseminomas (see b, a blood test is used to test for (and measure) tumor markers that are specific to that type of testicular cancer.

Pathology

Testicular cancer can be caused by any type of cell found in the testes, but more than 95% of all cancers are from germ cells. (Germ cells produce sperm; they are not pathogenic.) In general, the remainder of this article discusses germ cell testicular cancer. Germ cell tumors are classified as either seminomas or nonseminomas. Seminomas are ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Turkey Breasticle Festival - St. Louis, Missouri area group supporting breast and testicular cancer patients. History, calendar of events, e-cards, links and contact information.

UrologyChannel: Testicular Cancer - Gives an overview of the subject.

FDA: Testicular Cancer Survival - Overview information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

BUPA: Testicular Cancer - Fact sheet from this UK entity about the condition including causes, symptoms and treatment.

Peter Croft Music Man - Memorial for Peter Croft who died of testicular cancer in February, 2000.

Testicular Cancer and the Road to Recovery - Michael Merrill shares his experiences as he battles the disease.

Mayo Clinic: Testicular Cancer - Description of disease including symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and coping strategies.

BMJ: Managing testicular cancer - Review article by DP Dearnaley in the British Medical Journal.

About.com: Testicular Cancer - Links-based presentation.

AFP: Testicular Cancer - Journal article from the American Family Physician.

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