Testicular Cancer Prevention

Testicular Cancer Prevention 3

Testicular Cancer Prevention 4

Testicular Cancer Prevention 5

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      Overview: Testicular Cancer

What Is Testicular Cancer?

Testicular cancer is cancer in one or both testicles. It usually occurs in young men. This type of cancer can be treated and very often cured.

The testicles (or testes) are part of the male reproductive system. Each one is normally somewhat smaller than a golf ball. They are held in a sac of skin called the scrotum. The scrotum hangs beneath the base of the penis.

The testicles make male hormones, most of which is testosterone (tes-TOSS-ter-own). They also produce sperm. Sperm cells are carried from the testicles through small tubes (vas deferens) in the body to the seminal vesicles. Fluid from the vesicles and from the prostate gland is added. During ejaculation, the fluid (now called semen) travels through a tube (urethra) in the center of the penis and out of the body.

The testicles have several kinds of cells. The different cells may develop into one or more types of cancer. These types of cancer are treated differently. They also differ in the chance of survival for the patient (prognosis).

The 3 main types of testicular cancer are:

Germ cell tumors: This is the most common type of testicular cancer. Germ cell tumors grow in the cells that make sperm.

Stromal tumors: These tumors grow in other parts of the testicles, such as the cells that make hormones.
Secondary testicular tumors: These tumors develop from cancer that has spread to the testicles from other parts of the body.

Each of the 3 types is explained in more detail below.

Germ Cell Tumors

More than 9 out of 10 of cancers of the testicles start in the germ cells. As used here, "germ" means seed. These are the cells that make sperm.

The 2 main types of germ cell tumors are seminomas and nonseminomas.

Seminomas start from the sperm-producing germ cells of the testicle. Within this group there are also subtypes. Seminomas usually happen in men when they are between their late 30s and early 50s.

Nonseminomas tend to develop earlier in life than seminomas. They are often found in men between their late teens and early 40s. There are 4 main subtypes. Most tumors are mixed, having at least 2 different types. But all nonseminoma germ cell cancers are treated the same way, so the exact type is not that important.

Stromal Tumors

Tumors can also grow in the cells that make hormones and in the supportive tissues, or stroma, of the testicles. Stromal cell tumors are often benign (not cancer). They usually do not spread beyond the testicle and can be cured by surgical removal. But a few stromal cell tumors spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). Metastatic stromal cell tumors have a poor outlook because they do not respond well to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The 2 main types of stromal tumors are Leydig cell tumors and Sertoli cell tumors.

Secondary Testicular Tumors

Secondary testicular tumors start in another organ and then spread to the testicle. Lymphoma is the most common cancer of this type. Among men over age 50, testicular lymphoma is more common than tumors that start in the testicle. Their outlook depends on the type and stage of lymphoma. The usual treatment is to remove the testicle. Surgery is followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy.
In children with acute leukemia, the leukemia cells can sometimes form a tumor in the testicle.
Cancers of the prostate, lung, skin, kidney, and other organs can also spread to the testicles. The outlook for these cancers is usually poor. ThatÂ’s because these cancers have generally spread widely to other organs as well. Treatment depends on the exact type of cancer.


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