Testicles which are also known as testes or gonads are part of the male reproductive system which produces the male sex hormones (testosterone) and the sperm. Testicles are snuggled inside a loose sack of skin, called the scrotum which is found directly below the penis.
As the name infers, testicular cancer is cancer which involves the testicles and its cause is unknown. The good news about testicular cancer is twofold; it is quite rare and, when compared to other types of cancer, it is most treatable. The bad news about testicular cancer is that it is the most frequently appearing cancer in young man of 15 to 40 years of age.
Testicular cancer is classified by four stages of the disease:
Stage I: The cancer has not moved beyond the testis (or testicle).
Stage II: The cancer has metastasized and can now be found in the testis as well as the lymph nodes in the groin area.
Stage III: The cancer has metastasized beyond the local area and is now present in the testis, the lymph nodes in the groin area and beyond. This stage is further classified as bulky stage III and none-bulky state III.
Stage IV: The cancer has metastasized and can now be found in the liver and/or the lungs as well as the testis and the lymph nodes of the groin area.
Signs and Symptoms of Testicular Cancer
The classical and most frequently reported signs and symptoms of testicular cancer are:
1. The appearance of a mass, a swelling or a hardening in one testicle or the other but rarely in both.
2. An uncomfortable dull or sharp pain in the groin area (the testicles and/or the scrotum) as well as the lower part of the abdomen.
3. An unusual feeling of heaviness which seems to be based at the scrotum.
4. A swelling of the breasts which may or may not be accompanied by tenderness and sensitivity.
5. A relentless pain in the lower back (lumbago).
6. An inexplicable collection of fluids in the scrotum or tunica vaginalis (hydrocele).
7. A pronounced size discrepancy between the two testicles — the one affect by the tumor may grow to three times its normal size while the other may noticeably shrink due to deprivation of blood supply.
8. Bloody semen.
9. A general feeling of unwellness; lack of energy, weakness and fatigue.
10. Diminished interest in sexual interaction or a complete withdrawal.
Treating Testicular Cancer
As mentioned above, relative to all other cancers which affect both men and women, testicular cancer is the most curable. Based on US national statistics, testicular cancer affects nearly 8,000 men every year and almost 100% of them are cured if and when discovered in its earlier stages. In cases where the testicular cancer metastasized and spread to other areas of the body, the cure rate is as high as 85% to 90%.
There are two main reasons for testicular cancer being so very treatable and they are: (a) its lumpy growth is readily detectable by self examination which is recommended on a regular basis; (b) it responds very well to the conventional treatments and those may include surgery (orchiectormy to remove the tumor or the entire testicle), radiation therapy (to destroy the cancerous cells or to slow their growth), chemotherapy or systemic therapy (the use of drugs to obliterate the unhealthy cancer cells), and/or stem cell transplantation (the introduction of healthy blood cells).
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