Prostate Cancer Blog

Posts Tagged ‘testicular’

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.

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.

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.

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