Some men choose to get an artificial, or prosthetic, testicle. A surgeon places the artificial testicle in the scrotum to keep the natural look of the genitals. Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Common symptoms of testicular cancer include:.
Sometimes these symptoms can be caused by other problems, such as a hydrocele or epididymitis. Testicular cancer that has spread metastasized beyond the testicles and regional lymph nodes to other organs may cause other symptoms depending on the area of the body affected. Symptoms of late-stage testicular cancer may include:.
In most cases, the first sign of testicular cancer is a change in the size or shape of one or both testicles testes. Often this change doesn't cause pain, though pain may be present. If unnoticed or untreated, testicular cancer may spread metastasize to other areas of the body.
After you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, you and your doctor will begin planning your treatment. Nearly all men with testicular cancer have surgery. After surgery, you may have other treatments, if they are needed. This depends on your choices, the type of cells involved, and the stage of your cancer.
Testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer, especially during its early stages. If you have symptoms of testicular cancer, see a doctor as soon as possible. Some things may increase your chances of getting testicular cancer.
These risk factors include:. Most men who get testicular cancer don't have any known risk factors. Call your doctor as soon as possible if you have any symptoms of testicular cancer, including:. Some early-stage testicular cancers are successfully managed with a "wait-and-see" approach after surgery. This option involves frequent exams as well as blood tests and imaging tests to watch your condition.
Surveillance may let you avoid the side effects from other follow-up treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Health professionals who can evaluate your symptoms and your risk for testicular cancer include:.
Health professionals who can manage your cancer treatment include:. If testicular cancer is suspected, your doctor will do some testing. Tests may include:. If the ultrasound and blood tests suggest testicular cancer, a doctor will surgically remove your affected testicle. It will be checked for cancer. If cancer is found, you may have other tests, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs , to find out the stage of your cancer. During your treatment for testicular cancer, your doctor will schedule a thorough follow-up program to monitor your recovery, especially if you are doing surveillance.
These exams and tests may continue for several years. In addition to physical exams, your follow-up program may include:. Testicular self-exam may help detect testicular cancer. These cancers may be first found as a painless lump or an enlarged testicle during a self-exam.
Some doctors recommend that men ages 15 to 40 perform monthly testicular self-exams TSE. But many doctors don't believe that monthly TSE is needed for men who are at average risk for testicular cancer. Monthly TSE may be recommended for men who are at high risk for this kind of cancer.
This includes men who have a history of an undescended testicle or a family or personal history of testicular cancer. If you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, your doctor will explain what type of cancer you have, whether it has spread beyond the testicle metastasized , and the potential for curing it. You and your doctor will discuss your treatment options and possible outcomes of those treatments. Testicular cancer is highly curable, especially when it's diagnosed at an early stage.
If the cancer isn't treated during its early stages, it may spread metastasize to the lymph nodes and to the lungs, liver, brain, and bones. But often testicular cancer that has spread can still be treated successfully. Some cancer treatments raise your risk of infertility. Unless you are sure you won't want to father a child in the future, talk to your doctor about sperm banking before any treatment for testicular cancer.
Treatment begins with surgery orchiectomy to remove the affected testicle. After surgery, depending on which type of cancer cells are present and whether your cancer has spread to other areas of your body stage , you may need only surveillance.
Or you may need further treatment. Most testicular cancers are either seminomas or nonseminomas. The main difference between the two is that seminomas grow and spread slowly and respond to radiation therapy. They don't respond to radiation. Additional information about testicular cancer is provided by the National Cancer Institute at www. Seminomas are the kind of testicular cancer that grow and spread slowly.
After surgery , treatments may include:. For seminomas that are more advanced stage II or stage III cancers , treatments begin with surgery orchiectomy and may include radiation, chemotherapy, or combination chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, tissue masses that remain may need to be removed with surgery. Nonseminomas are the kind of testicular cancer that grow and spread more quickly than seminomas.
They don't respond well to radiation therapy. For nonseminomas that are more advanced stage II or stage III cancers , treatments begin with surgery orchiectomy and may include surgery to remove lymph nodes, chemotherapy, or combination chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, any tissue masses that remain will be removed with surgery, if possible.
If your cancer was found early, you may have a choice about further treatment. Talk with your doctor about the risks and possible side effects of each treatment option. After treatment, it is important to receive follow-up care. This care may lead to early identification and management of cancer that comes back.
Your regular follow-up program may include:. A diagnosis of testicular cancer means that you will be seeing your doctor regularly for years to come. It's a good idea to build a relationship based on trust and the sharing of information. Your doctor may give you some advice on changes to make in your life to help treatment succeed.
Testicular cancer that has come back recurred may be found during a physical exam, through an imaging test, or as a result of increasing tumor marker levels. LVI is indicative of the aggressiveness of a cancer and the likelihood of spread beyond the testicle. Men with Stage IA and IB disease are often followed closely with surveillance, although chemotherapy or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection RPLND are options to minimize the risk of recurrence. Men with stage IS cancer have their tumor confined to the testicle, but elevated tumor markers after orchiectomy.
Men with Stage IS disease require chemotherapy for cure. Men who have been treated for testicular cancer should have regular check-ups with their GP and specialist over the next 10 years or so to make sure the cancer does not come back. Check-ups may include X-rays, scans or blood tests. As the cause of testicular cancer is not known, there is no way to prevent it. But early diagnosis can allow the cancer to be treated before it spreads to other parts of the body.
Regular self-examination of the testicles is easy to do and may help identify any changes. The examination is easier after a warm shower or bath when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. To examine your testicles, support your scrotum in the palm of your hand and gently roll one testicle between your thumb and fingers to feel for any changes in or on the surface such as lumps, swelling or hard areas.
Healthy testicles should feel firm and have a smooth surface. The epididymis the coiled tube at the back of the testicle that carries sperm should feel soft, with no swellings. Then repeat the process with the other testicle. The Cancer Council Australia says that it is sensible for men from puberty onwards to become familiar with the usual level of lumpiness of their testicles and to see their doctor if they notice a change.
Men with a family history of testicular cancer father or brother or a personal history of absent or undescended testicles in particular should regularly check for lumps or swellings on the surface of the testicles. The testicles or testes are located beneath the penis and contained within the scrotum. They should be about equal size and feel smooth, rubbery and egg-shaped. The left testicle occasionally hangs lower than the right. Self-examination of the testes is best done when the scrotum is relaxed, after a warm bath or shower.
This will also allow the testicles to drop down completely. If you find a lump or any other abnormality you should contact your doctor immediately. The lump may be due to an infection, cyst or other non-cancerous swelling. Your doctor may recommend an ultrasound to determine the precise nature of the swelling. For the rare ones that are, testicular cancer is highly curable, especially when detected and treated early.
Testicular cancer generally occurs in only one testicle, and the other testicle is all that is needed for full sexual function and fertility. However, the outlook depends greatly on the type of cancer, its size and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
The earlier testicular cancer is detected and treated, the better the outlook. So see your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any changes in your testicles. Andrology Australia. What every man needs to know: Testicular cancer fact sheet Date reviewed: August Testicular cancer diagnosis and management: Clinical summary guide Date reviewed: February Testicular cancer classification and treatment: clinical summary guide [supplement] Date reviewed: February Other scans or x-rays may be done if your doctor would like to see inside your chest or abdomen.
This is done to see if cancer has spread to lymph nodes, the lungs or liver. MRIs are rarely used, but needed in some cases to check the brain and spinal cord. Blood test: A blood test is taken to check tumor markers. These are proteins and hormones made by some testicular cancers.
In other words, just because tumor markers are normal does not mean that you are free of cancer. Some medicines and marijuana can create false positive levels of HCG. Over the counter urinary pregnancy tests do check for HCG levels in the urine but are not reliable tests for testicular cancer. This is not really cancer, but a warning that cancer could grow.
GCNIS may be found in the seminal tubules and nowhere else. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to other parts of the body. Cancer may be found far from the testicles, like in distant lymph nodes or the lungs. Tumor marker levels are high. Treatment options include: Surveillance. Surveillance is recommended for Stage 0 and some Stage 1 cancers.
Patients with stage I seminoma. It should involve a physical exam, tumor marker test and imaging: Every months for the first 2 years; every months in years Patients with stage 1 non-seminoma germ cell tumors NSGCT , after surgery. It should include a physical exam and tumor marker test: Every months in year 1; every months in year 2; every months in year 3; every months in years Patients with stage I NSGCT, after surgery.
It should involve a chest x-ray and other imaging: Every months in year 1; every months in year 2; one time in years If the cancer shows signs of growth, or if hormone levels change, then more treatment may be offered. Surgery Surgery is the main treatment for testicular cancer.
Orchiectomy is used to diagnose and treat both early-stage and later-stage testicular cancer. This surgery removes the entire testicle and mass through a small cut in the groin. The spermatic cord is also removed. The cell type will be confirmed and staged with this surgery. If one testicle is removed and the other is normal, testosterone levels should be fine. The remaining, healthy testicle should make enough testosterone. If a man is concerned about the way he looks, a testicular prosthesis is an option.
Testis-sparing surgery TSS is only recommended in select cases. This surgery removes just the tumor tissue, not the entire testis. For this, the mass must be very small and tumor markers must be negative.
This is best for men with benign tumors, rather than cancer. When TSS is done, regular surveillance is important because the cancer can return. Other side effects, like infertility, are possible. If the tumor is malignant, and the man has a normal testicle on the other side, then TSS is not recommended. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection RPLND is a complex surgery used to limit the side effects of removing the lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen. A skilled surgeon is used and it can be helpful for some men.
This surgery is an option for patients with stage I cancer and a high risk for recurrence. It is typically for men with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors. After RPLND surgery, chemotherapy or surveillance is offered depending on the cancer location, type and risk of recurrence. It is important to work with a highly experienced surgeon. Radiation Radiation is used to kill cancer cells on the testis or in nearby lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is used for cancers that spread beyond the testicles, or if tumor markers rise after surgery. Further Treatment Beyond basic surgery, care depends on the type of cancer cell and results.
If, after time, cancer returns, then more treatment will be needed. Treatment for Children. The cancer cell-types found are: Yolk Sac Tumors. When these tumors grow in adults, they are more unsafe. These germ cells grow in hard to predict ways and do not respond to chemotherapy.
They can be treated with surgery. Gonadal Stromal Tumors. These are more likely to spread and require a chest x-ray if found. Gonadoblastoma and Dysgerminoma are rare. They happen in children with testicles that did not grow normally before birth. Gonadoblastomas are benign. The most common treatments for children are: Inguinal Exploration. For this surgery, a cut on the skin crease just above the pubic bone is made and the testicle is guided out of the scrotum.
The surgeon then looks at the gland to decide next steps. This is recommended for any child with a testicular tumor. It is most often an outpatient service. This is an choice when the surgeon thinks the tumor is benign. A surgeon decides on TSS based on how the tumor looks and on normal tumor markers.
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