Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer General Facts
General Facts The testicles are two male genital organs in which the sperm is produced and stored until ejaculated from the body. They are also the ones who produce testosterone, a male hormone. The testicles are localized in a sack on the bottom of the penis called the scrotum. General Facts Testicular cancer occurs when abnormal cells are formed and start multiplying in the testicles. Testicular cancer frequently affects men of Caucasian ethnicity and less African-Americans and Asian-Americans. It is considered one of the most likely cured cancers, especially if discovered at an early stage. It mostly affects men in between the ages of 20 and 35 years old.
Symptoms and causes
Although the exact cause of testicular cancer is unknown, there are situations that are likely to increase the chances of developing testicular cancer :
- Undescended testicle: In most cases, the testicles descend to the scrotum even before birth or in the first three months after birth. An undescended testicle happens when the testicle doesn’t descend from abdomen into scrotum.
- Klinefelter syndrome : a genetic disease that affects men.
- Medical history of testicular cancer in the family : Even if it has been demonstrated that the conditions mentioned above increase the occurrence of testicular cancer, most men with this type of cancer don’tdemonstrate any of them. Some doctors recommend that all men in between 15 and 40 years old should examine their testicles on a monthly basis. Also, men in the higher risk group should get the examination from a specialist because there are modifications (painless) that could easily be overlooked in self-examination.
Common symptoms of testicular cancer :
- Tumefaction or cystic formation in one or both testicles, even if there is no testicular pain.
- A weight like sensation in the scrotum.
- Painful discomfort sensation in lower abdomen, pelvis area or lower back.
Investigation and diagnosis
Most testicle anomalies are detected either at self-examination or at a routine medical check. If testicular cancer is suspected, the doctor will request other tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment and prevention
Most treatment therapies will start with a radical orchiectomy – the cancerous testicle will be removed surgically from the body. After this and considering the stage of the cancer and the patient’s health, one of the following methods of treatment will be recommended :
- Watchful waiting: the patient will be monitored by a doctor, but no medication will be prescribed.
- Radiotherapy: using high doses of x-razes to destroy the cancerous cells and diminish the tumor.
- Chemotherapy: strong medication to combat the cancer cells, usually recommended to men who have a more invasive type of cancer that affected the lymph nodes or organs in the surrounding area.
- Additional surgery Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
- Involves removing the lymph nodes in the abdomen and lower back.
- Testicular ultrasound, unlike some imagistic investigations, doesn’t use x-rays or other kinds of potentially damaging radiations to reproduce an image of the internal organs. It is safe to use it to determine the cause of testicular tumefaction or pain, also before surgically removing the testicle.
- Blood tests to determine the level of tumor markers.
- Orchiectomy is used to confirm the testicular cancer diagnosis, it is a procedure that involves taking out the affected testicle and study its structure at a microscopic level biopsy. After testicular cancer is diagnosed, the next step is to determine the stage of the cancer. More investigations are required at this time like a CT scan, repeat tumor markers, NMR. There are 3 stages of testicle cancer, the first stage is when the cancer only affects the testicle, the second stage is when the cancer moves to the lymph nodes and the third stage is when cancer invades other parts of the body.