Prostate Cancer Blog

Archive for the ‘Testicular Cancer’ Category

im 16 and i have a lump on my right testicle and hearing all of these stories is scaring me. im going to get it checked out soon but im wondering if it is testicular cancer, what happens? do they always have to remove it? =[

the lump or the testicle? go to the doc. it could be nothing, but if it is cancer, you want it removed, or you may not live long enough to legally drink your beer.

Alright first off NO BAD COMMENTS ok also don’t laugh

i was in the bath the other day and i notice a small black dot probably 1 or 2 centimeters long and high and i was Curios so i picked at it Its in the skin but its like i guess a spot you could say but im a little worried cause i hear that sometimes it can be a sign of cancer and I would go see my doctor but i just don’t find it normal to show a person my testicles is there Any way i can find out without going to the doctor?
im also kinda worried if its a tic but More on if its cancer
after reading the 2 recent comments its Important and embarising to say i am a Virgin
i figured out what it is Its ingrown hair. just heard of it 10 minutes ago but i guess it woulda kinda make since cause its next To the scrotum and its around alot of hairs

No

How do you get tested for testicular cancer BEFORE its too late?

There are certain blood values that would be increased or decreased with ANY type of cancer, so a blood test would be a good idea.

What happens if testicular cancer spreads to lungs and liver?
Whats the treatment if any?
Chance of survival?
For a 17 year old boy.

hope a good specialist in the field is looking after the boy.

Since it has spread to distant organs treatment has to be fast and intensive with a multi-pronged approach of drugs, radiotherapy and surgery as well.

u pl get pronto to the best specialist u can get and and do not delay treatment.
survival depends on the type of cancer, extent of spread and response to treatment.

wish the boy all the best.

recently i’ve noticed that my penis shrinks when i walk and i think this might be because my testicles (or that area) have become larger

i’ve also noticed that i’ve lost a lot of feeling in the head of my penis

i have a few symptoms of testicular cancer and i;m going to the hospital tomorrow to see what exactly is wrong

are these related or are they 2 different problems

you penis shrinks because blood is going elsewhere to your body

to your active walking limbs

the loss of feeling in the head could be cause by multiple things

could be psychological

your doctor will know whats up

Me and the wife were having a discussing about the relative nhs investment and mortality rates of male and female cancers (as she is a school nurse assistant). I maintain that male cancers (testicular / prostate) are not taken as seriously as female cancers (breast and cervical) and have less investment in them. Does anyone know if there is a disparity between the four cancers and why this is the case?

Please don’t cloud the issue by telling me that men suffer with breast cancer, I know!

I think some of it is how much coverage they get. Breast cancer has a huge promotional effort behind it and is a big money make so they spend lots of money on research.

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.