TESTICULAR CANCER
Testicular cancer is a type of cancer arising from one or both of the testicles or testes.
- The tests are the male reproductive glands located inside the scrotum (a loose bag of skin underneath the penis).
- The tests are responsible for producing sperm for reproduction and the male sex hormone ( testosterone).
- Testicular cancer is rare as compared to other types of cancer.
- In 2015, testicular cancer affected about 686,000 people globally resulting in 9,400 deaths.
- Testicular cancer is the most common cause of cancer in men 20 to 35 years old.
- Almost all testicular cancer begins with changes in the germ cell, the cell in the body that produces sperm.
- There are two main types of testicular germ cell tumors: seminomas and nonseminomas. The germ cell tumors account for more than 90% of testicular cancers.
- While seminomas are testicular cancer that grows slowly and are usually confined to the testes, but may also involve the lymph nodes, nonseminomas grow faster, may spread to other parts of the body and are the most common form of testicular cancer.
- Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, even if it spreads to other areas.
CAUSES
The exact cause of testicular cancer is unknown. Like every other cancer, testicular cancer arises when changes occur in the healthy cells located in the testicles. These causes normal cell in the testicles to become abnormal and multiply rapidly and continue to accumulate, forming a tumor or mass.
Factors that may increase the risk of testicular cancer include:
- Family history
- Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism)
- Abnormal testicular development which may arise from conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome, inguinal hernia.
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Age
- Being of Caucasian descent. The condition is more common in white men than black men.
SYMPTOMS
- A lump or swelling in one or both testicles.
- Sharp pain or a dull ache in the lower abdomen or scrotum
- A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
- a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
- low back pain which may result from cancer spreading to the lymph nodes along the back
- breast tenderness or enlargement
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
In some cases, you may discover testicular cancer unintentionally or while doing a testicular self-examination to check for lumps.
In other cases, the doctor may detect a lump while carrying out a routine physical exam.
To determine whether a lump is testicular cancer, the doctor may recommend the following tests:
- An ultrasound to examine the internal structure of the testicles
- Blood tests referred to as tumor marker tests to show the elevated level of tumor markers in the blood. The tumor markers are substances that occur normally in the blood but may be elevated in certain situations including testicular cancer.
- If it is determined that the lump on your testicle may be cancerous, the entire testicles may need to be removed to obtain a tissue sample. The testicle is then analyzed to determine if the lump is cancerous, and, if so, what type of cancer.
The stages of the cancer are determined based on how far cancer has spread. This will help the doctor to determine the best treatment option. Tests such as chest X-ray, CT scan and blood test can be used to determine your cancer stage. These ranges from I-III.
- Stage I, cancer is confined to the testicle
- Stage 2, cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen
- Stage 3, cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This type commonly spreads to the liver, lungs, brains, and bones.
TREATMENT
Three general categories exist to treat testicular cancer, they include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
The type and stage, your general health and preference will determine the treatment option. You may be treated with one or more options
Surgery is used to remove one or both testicles (radical inguinal orchiectomy) or nearby lymph nodes (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection).
Chemotherapy that involves using medication injected intravenously or taken orally to kill the cancer cell.
Radiation therapy that uses powerful, energy beams such as X-rays to kill the cancer cell