Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer (TC)

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Cryptorchidism

It is the condition, when both or one of the testicles did not move down from the body cavity into the scrotum before the day of the birth of the male child. It is advised to fix this condition surgically soon after birth – in the age of about 1 year, to avoid infertility and lower risk of the testicular cancer. Most probably cryptorchidism is not a risk factor itself, but a signal of the existence of the condition that may cause both cryptorchidism and testicular cancer

 

Age

Testicular cancer affects most often young men, at the age of in between 15 and 35 years

 

Family and personal history

Men with the first-grade relatives or previous cancer disease in the other testicle, are more likely to develop a disease

 

Body high

Recently studies showed a small positive correlation between risk increase and body high

 

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Possible symptoms of testicular cancer

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• swelling  in testicles

• lump or enlargement of the testicle

• breast grow or painful/swelling sensation

• puberty at an abnormal early age as (growth of face and body hair, voice changes)

• heaviness or discomfort in the scrotum

 

! all the symptoms above might also demonstrate infection or other condition, not necessary cancer  

 

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Diagnosis

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to understand the source of the symptoms doctor may decide to do:

• physical examination - to search for palpable scrotum or abdominal mass

• ultrasound

• CT scan 

• serum tumor markers – blood test

• testicular biopsy (selected cases)

 

 

Treatment of Testicular Cancer

 

• surgical treatment – inguinal orchidectomy – is a primary treatment for the TC. It is a surgical procedure of the removing the testicle through the 6-12 cm incision (depending of the size of the tumor) in the groin. During the procedure surgeon will remove also part of the sperm cord, to avoid the spread of the disease and if such is a wish of the patient – prosthetic testicle may be inserted 

• active surveillance 

• radiotherapy

• chemotherapy