Prostate Cancer Blog

Archive for the ‘Testicular Cancer’ Category

how do you check if you have Testicular Cancer. and how often should you check?

In the shower, you feel around for any unsusally lumps or growths

once a month

Today i found out that my husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer, not a good thing since we are separated by two hundred or more miles(long story saved for another time). What should i worry about the most with Testicular Cancer? Will removing the tumor get rid of it all, or is more treatment needed? should i be sure that chemo or some other type of harsh treatment is needed?

google american cancer society…they have great links and reliable info,

I’d like to discuss with someone, preferably a doctor, about testicular cancer in general. I feel I may be being lied to by a family member about this subject, and I need to know more about the cancer itself and treatments. If there’s anyone out there, whether a doctor or someone who’s had testicular cancer, please help!

Testicular cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the testicles (singular testis), a part of the male reproductive system. In the United States, about 8,000 to 9,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. Over his lifetime, a man’s chance of getting testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250 (four tenths of one percent, or 0.4%). It is most common among males aged 15?40 years. Testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers: in excess of 90%; essentially 100% if it has not spread. Even for the relatively few cases in which the cancer has spread widely, chemotherapy offers a cure rate of at least 50%.

Symptoms and early detection
Because testicular cancer is curable (stage I can have a success rate of >95%) when detected early, experts recommend regular monthly testicular self-examination after a hot shower or bath, when the scrotum is looser. Men should examine each testicle, feeling for pea-shaped lumps. Symptoms may include one or more of the following:

a lump in one testis or a hardening of one of the testicles
pain and tenderness in the testicles
build-up of fluid in the scrotum
a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin
an increase, or significant decrease, in the size of one testis
Men should report any of these to a doctor as soon as possible.

The extent of testicular cancer and whether the cancer is present are ascertained by ultrasound (of the testicles), X-rays, and/or CT scans, which are used to locate tumors. Blood tests are also used to identify and measure tumor markers that are specific to testicular cancer. A biopsy should not be performed, as it raises the risk of migrating cancer cells into the scrotum.

[edit] Differential Diagnosis
An incorrect diagnosis is made at the initial examination in up to 25% of patients with testicular tumors and may result in delay in treatment or a suboptimal surgical approach (scrotal incision) for exploration.

Epididymitis or epididymoorchitis
Hydrocele
Spermatocele
Granulomatous orchitis

Prevalence and distribution
Testicular cancer is most common among white males and rare among African Americans. Worldwide incidence has doubled since the 1960s, with the highest rates of prevalence in Scandinavia, Germany, and New Zealand. Testicular Cancer is uncommon in Asia and Africa.

Incidence among African Americans doubled from 1988 to 2001 with a bias towards seminoma. The lack of any significant increase in the incidence of early-stage testicular cancer during this timeframe suggests that the overall increase was not due to heightened awareness of the disease.

Although testicular cancer is most common among men aged 15?40 years, it has three peaks: infancy, ages 25?40 years, and age 60 years.

Pathology, staging, and genetics
Testicular cancer can be caused by any type of cell found in the testes, but more than 95% of all testicular cancers originate in germ cells. (Germ cells produce sperm. They are not pathogenic; i.e., they are not to be confused with the "germs" (viruses, bacteria) that cause illness.) In general, the remainder of this article discusses germ-cell testicular cancer.

Germ-cell tumors are classified as either seminomas or nonseminomas (which may be called teratomas in the UK). Seminomas are slow-growing. Seminomas, when found, tend to be localized (i.e., only in the testicles), simply because they spread relatively slowly. Nonseminomas, on the other hand, tend to spread more quickly. Nonseminomas are further classified into four subtypes; embryonal carcinomas, choriocarcinomas, yolk sac tumors, teratomas and mixed tumors. Their appearance under the microscope and also their gene expression is rather distinguished from each other, their rate of spread varies somewhat, but they are nevertheless treated similarly. When seminomas and nonseminomas are both present (which is not unusual), the cancer is classified as nonseminoma
[edit] Tumor markers
Blood markers for testicular tumors include the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (?hCG), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Seminomatous tumors never present elevated AFP levels. Placental alkaline phosphatase and other markers are sometimes used by the pathologist to differentiate between seminoma and nonseminomatous tumors.

[edit] Staging
After removal, a testicular tumor is staged by a pathologist according to the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors as published in the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. Testicular cancer is categorized as being in one of three stages (which have subclassifications). The size of the tumor in the testis is irrelevant to staging. [1] In broad terms, tesicular cancer is staged as follows:

Stage I: the cancer remains localized to the testis.
Stage II: the cancer involves the testis and metastasis to retroperitoneal and/or Paraaortic lymph nodes (lymph nodes below the diaphragm).
Stage III: the cancer involves the testis and metastasis beyond the retroperitoneal and Paraaortic lymph nodes. Stage III is further subdivided into nonbulky stage III and bulky stage III. [2]
There are alternative therapies favored by some to help fight testicular cancer. Studies have found that epigallocatechin gallate, found in green tea, has beneficial effects. It can bind to a protein on a tumor cell and slow its growth. Other active ingredients, quercetin and gallic acid, have also shown effectiveness, as well as the aqueous solutions of ardisia and yerba mate teas, as chemopreventative agents.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15450404

The diallyl sulfide component in garlic may be an effective inhibitor in the development of carcinogenic tumors, according to a number of studies which showed some preventative effect.

http://www.krysalis.net/cancer2.htm

Finally the maitake mushroom appears to both inhibit the growth of tumors as well as stimulate immunity. The particular active ingredient is a beta-glucan called D-fraction, which stimulates immune cells. In some cases extracts need to be injected, but the mushroom is effective orally and can be bought as a supplement. It?s also been posited that the maitake might make chemotherapeutic drugs more effective, which means lower does of chemotherapy can be used.

I am going to a routine physical shortly, and wondering if I can request a blood test to check for any cancers, specifically testicular?
I know they do a physical check first, but if I’m not warms like you’re supposed to be when you check, will they feel anything? I’m curious about a lump, but can only feel it after a shower.

Best is ultrasound, takes 1 minute only. The tumor markers are not sensitive and specific enough.

my friend was asking me about this and we are both going to bootcamp on next 2-3 months.. is Testicular Cancer will delay him from going to bootcamp or the military will just going to kick him out?

Any significant medical condition such as that is disqualifying. Assuming that they discover it before he ships out, they’ll tear up his contract. If it’s discovered in basic, he’ll be separated and sent home.

If they can substantiate that he knew about it in advance and withheld it they technically could prosecute him for Fraudulent Enlistment but that would be exceedingly unusual for a medical condition. That’s usually reserved for undisclosed criminal convictions or undisclosed drug abuse or other issues of "moral turpitude."

Okay I adore Ryan Lochte but last night my mom told me he’s the one with Testicular Cancer and then this morning someone else had a different name… so which olympian swimming for the USA has cancer =[ ?

Eric Shanteau

After Olympic Trials, Shanteau revealed that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer just a week before competing. Shanteau didn’t share the news with any of his teammates or coaches, deciding instead to focus on qualifying. Now, having made the team, Shanteau will postpone treatment until after Beijing. "If I didn’t make the team, the decision would have been easy: Go home and have the surgery," Shanteau told The Associated Press. "I made the team, so I had a hard decision. But, by no means am I being stupid about this." The recommended surgery would keep Shanteau out of the pool for two weeks, which would significantly affect his chances to win an Olympic medal.

Eric’s Olympics ended yesterday after he swam the 200 meter breaststroke semi-finals and failed to qualify for the finals.

Hope this helps.

I just want to know, and I’m about to turn 13 and I’m going through puberty. Any fellow teens or adults who remember this stage help! And if testicular cancer can occur, what are the symptoms and is it contagious and deadly? Thanks a lot!

Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in young men between the ages of 15 and 35, but the disease also occurs in other age groups, so all men should be aware of its symptoms. While testicular cancer is common among young men, young men typically do not develop any kind of cancer, so overall, Testicular Cancer is a relatively rare disease. This form of cancer is almost always curable if it is found early. Most testicular cancers are found by men themselves, either as a painless lump, a hardening or change in size of the testicle, or pain in the testicle. Children born with an undescended testicle have an increased risk of getting testicular cancer, regardless of whether surgery is done to correct the problem. However, the surgery should still be done to preserve fertility. The theory is that the increased risk of testicular cancer is due to whatever caused the undescended testicle, not just by the fact that the testicle was undescended so enjoy playing with your little bugger

Why is it that one cancer (Testicular Cancer) has a good response to treatment even when it is in an advanced stage and then advanced lung cancer has a very poor response to treatment when it is in an advanced stage?

brandon – You’re on your way to becoming a cancer specialist. In addition to the two cancers you mentioned, there are about 200 others that may be found in humans. There is no one cancer of the testis, but the main four are types of cancer that develop in the testes are seminoma, teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, and choriocarcinoma. They vary greatly in their malignant behavior from very curable to deadly and very different in their response to treatment. . There are several other cancers of the testis.
Lung cancers are divided into two main groups = non small-cell and small-cell types. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
NSCLC accounts for about 80% of lung cancers. There are different types of NSCLC, including:
Squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma). This is the most common type of NSCLC. It forms in the lining of the bronchial tubes and is the most common type of lung cancer in men.
Adenocarcinoma. This cancer is found in the glands of the lungs that produce mucus. This is the most common type of lung cancer in women and also among people who have not smoked.
Bronchioalveolar carcinoma. This is a rare subset of adenocarcinoma. It forms near the lungs’ air sacs. Recent clinical research has shown that this type of cancer responds more effectively to the newer targeted therapies.
Large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma. This cancer forms near the surface, or outer edges, of the lungs. It can grow rapidly.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
SCLC accounts for about 20% of all lung cancers. Although the cells are small, they multiply quickly and form large tumors that can spread throughout the body. Smoking is almost always the cause of SCLC.
Responses to treatment and aggressiveness vary.
There is no simple and short answer to your original question.

i am 15 years old and recently noticed a lump in my right testicle. Is it possible that i could have Testicular Cancer at my age, i’m really worried, should i seek help?

Hi – the first thing to do is NOT worry! There are other possible causes and finding a lump does not necessarily mean Cancer. The NEXT thing to do is phone your DOCTOR and make an appointment. They may even see you today if you say it’s an emergancy. The reason to be quick is that in the unlikely event that it is cancer, testicular cancer is treatable and survival rates are high, particularly if caught early. But yes, it is possible to have testicular cancer at 15, although it is extremely rare. Get an appointment today and please keep us posted – let us know you’re OK. If you don’t know who your doctor is or can’t make an appointment for some reason, let us know.

I’ve heard studies of 20-ish men with laptop’s. They say it can cause reduced sperm count and possibly Testicular Cancer. Does anyone know if this is true?

20 people is not in the least bit credible. There’s no real evidence that laptops cause any problems. There’s no reason for them either- laptops aren’t radioactive. They emit nothing in any harmful spectrum.