Testicular Cancer - OnCare Cancer Center Testicular Cancer Intruduction

Overview of Testicular Cancer

The Testicles is one of the male reproductive organs, the sex glands that produce sperm and hormone testosterone from puberty. The most distinctive feature of testicular cancer is that it occurs mostly among young men aged below 45 years old, and it is a relatively rare cancer in Hong Kong. And testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers, if the patient is diagnosed and being treated before any metastasis, their survival rate is over 95%.

Causes of Testicular Cancer

The exact causes of testicular cancer are not yet fully understood. Though there are clinical studies that shown men who have an undescended testicle, they will have higher risk to develop testicular cancer. Other risk factors include: family history, abnormal testicle development, and AIDS/ HIV patients, etc.

Types of Oesophageal Cancer

Testicular cancers are classified as seminomas or nonseminomas. Seminoma can occur in all age group, but it is more common in older patients; Nonseminoma tends to develop on younger patients, and the tumour grows and spreads rapidly, it is more aggressive.

Symptoms of Testicular Caner

In most cases, the first sign of testicular cancer is lump or swollen tissues found in either testicle, therefore self-examination is very important. The common symptoms may include:

• No obvious discomfort, but there are small lumps or swelling in the testicle
• Heaviness feeling in the scrotum
• Fluid build-up in the scrotum
• Dull pain in the abdomen or groin
• Enlargement of the breasts

Diagnosis of Testicular Caner

If you are suffering from one or more symptoms listed above for an extended period of time, please consult with your family doctor as soon as possible. They may arrange one of the following primary screenings:

1. Ultrasound:Uses sound wave to create picture of the scrotum and the testicles, the doctor can determine with the lump felt is cancerous.
   
   
2. Blood Test:Will check for tumour markers.

If your doctor suspect you have testicular cancer, they may arrange further test to confirm the diagnosis, staging and help in designing treatment plans.

• CT Scan:A scan that can provide three-dimensional pictures
• MRI / PET Scan:An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can generate cross sectional images of organs and structure, while PET Scan can show activities of the scanned tissues.

Unlike other cancers, it is not recommended to use any biopsy for testicular cancer. Because a biopsy will affect the lymph tissues in the area, and will easily lead to further complications.

There are five stages for Oesophageal Cancer, with stage zero as the earliest stage and stage four is the most advanced:

• Stage 0 :
  Carcinoma in situ.
  
  
• Stage I:
  
  • Stage IA: Cancer is in the testicle and may have invaded the rete testis and the epididymis but has not invaded the lymphatic or blood vessels in the testis or spread to lymph nodes. The tumour in the testis may have invaded the inner membrane surrounding the testis but not the outer membrane.
  • Stage IB: The testicular tumour has invaded the outer membrane surrounding the testicle, invaded blood or lymphatic vessels within the testicle, spread to the spermatic cord or invaded the scrotum. The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes or distant sites.
    
    
• Stage II:
  
  • Stage IIA: Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
  • Stage IIB:Cancer cells have spread to less than five lymph nodes in the retroperitoneal.
    
    
• Stage III:
  Cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or other organs, such as the lungs, bones and brain.
  
  

Treatment for Testicular Cancer

Oncare's News Article about Testicular Cancer ： (to be updated)

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