Testicular Cancer - All About It!

A rare type of cancer (accounting for about 1% of all the cancer types affecting men), testicular cancer is a condition where cancerous outgrowths take place in one or both of the testes (often the germ cells). The incidence of testicular cancer is lower among the African or Asian males as compared to the American males (especially in the age group of 15-35 years). 

Testicular cancer can be of two types- Seminomas and Nonseminomas 

1) Seminomas: Sensitive to radiation therapy, seminomas are slow growing testicular cancer found to affect men mostly in their 30's and 40's. 

2) Nonseminomas: Unlike the seminomas, nonseminomas are fast growing testicular cancer. 

However, there is some good news related to testicular cancer. Reports suggest quite a majority of men with testicular cancer have shown remarkable progress and recovered fully. In fact, of all the cancer types, testicular cancer has the highest success rate (more than 90%) when treated on time. 

The symptoms characteristic of testicular cancer: 

A person with testicular cancer may exhibit the following symptoms and discomfort. In most of the case, the cancerous outgrowth is found to affect only one of the testicles. 

1) A lump may appear in one or both the testicles. The testicles may also undergo an enlargement (one or both). 

2) In some cases, there may also be a chest/breast(s) enlargement. 

3) A person may experience pain and discomfort in the testicle or in the scrotum. At times, the scrotum may also feel heavy. 

4) There may be a backache. Some people may also complain of a dull pain the groin or in the stomach. 

5) At times, testicular cancer may result in some fluids collecting in the scrotum (the condition may occur suddenly without any previous case history). 

People with a family history of testicular cancer as well as those suffering from Klinefelter syndrome (a chromosomal aberration affecting males whereby a person is born with an extra X chromosome) should be careful as incidences of testicular cancer are higher in such men. 

Diagnosis and Treatment 

In addition to the physical examinations and the associated symptoms, the following tests go a long way in the accurate diagnosis of testicular cancer. 

1) Blood tests to determine the level of certain markers (such as Beta-Human chorionic gonadotropin, Alpha-fetoprotein) indicative of testicular cancer. The concentration of these markers in the blood is found to be quite high in the case of testicular cancer. 

2) In case a lump appears in the testicle, an ultrasound can play a significant role in understanding the nature of the lump better and diagnosing testicualr cancer. 

Treatment: 

1)If the diagnosis indicates a cancerous lump (or chances of it being malignant), we perform a Radical Inguinal Orchiectomy to remove the affected testicle for further analysis wich is boht diagnostic and therapeutic. 

2)There may also be a need to remove the draining lymph nodes (to prevent testicular cancer from invading the lymph nodes), a procedure termed as Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection. 

3)In addition to the above surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy play an instrumental role in increasing the effectiveness of the treatment and curing testicular cancer.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!