What is testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is a disease whereby the cells in both or one of testicles become malignant. The testicles are actually sex glands, which produce sperm. They are also produce testosterone. On the basis of the nature of the malignant cells in the testicles, doctors are able to say whether the cancer is seminomas or nonseminomas. This disease affects around 1% of the total population of the United States. It generally affects men in the age group of 15-34 years. White men, especially those of the Scandinavian descent, are more prone to this disease.
Causes of testicular cancer
Although the exact cause of testicular cancer remains unknown, some of the possible causes of this disease are cryptorchidism or undescended testicles, congenital abnormalities. A family history of testicular cancer is also one of the causes. Undescended testicles are a condition where the testicle does not move into the scrotum. In this case, the chances of testicular cancer get increased. Even after a surgery to move the testicles into the scrotum, the risk of testicular cancer does not go away. Men with inguinal hernia or with abnormalities in their kidneys, testicles, or penis are also prone to this disease. In families with history of testicular cancer, men are susceptible to this form of cancer.
Signs & symptoms of testicular cancer, checking for testicular cancer
If you are wondering if you have testicular cancer or not and you want to know how to check for testicular cancer, you can perform a testicular self-examination and look for some of the signs & symptoms of testicular cancer. Testicular can is characterized by the symptoms such as lump or swelling in the testicles, ache in the lower abdomen, groin, or the back, enlarged testicles, pain testicles, or heaviness in the scrotum. Testicular cancer can be diagnosed with the help of blood tests. These tests measure the level of tumor markers in the blood. Tumor markers are often present in extremely high quantity in case of cancer. Biopsy is another way to diagnose cancer. In this case, a pathologist examines a sample of the testicular tissue under the microscope. Ultrasound can also determine cancer. In case of testicular cancer, an ultrasound of the scrotum is done to check its size and mass.
Testicular cancer treatments & diagnosis
According to medical studies, more than 95% of testicular cancer is successfully treated these days. The most common form of treatment is surgery. This surgery is referred to as radical inguinal orchiectomy. In this process, an incision is made in the groin in order to remove the testicles from the body. Another form of treatment is radiation therapy. Under radiation therapy, high-energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy, which is the use of anticancer drugs, is also used to treat this form of cancer.
Testicular cancer screening
Testicular cancer can also be screened. Cancer screening means checking for cancer in a body before its symptoms appear. Testicular cancer screening can help in the early detection of this form of cancer, which may lead to its successful treatment. If you want to do a screening for testicular cancer, check with your doctor for more details.
Chance of fertility with testicular cancer
About 80% of men are able to have children after testicular cancer. The biggest risk of infertility involved echemotherapy treatment, which will result in 70% chance of fertility.