Here's what I've compiled so far to present to my chapter. I posted my sources at the bottom.
Fast Facts about Testicular Cancer:
* Although it only accounts for 1% of all cancer cases,
* Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer for men ages 20-34
* The disease is 4X more common to occur in White men than Black Men. The odds are even less for Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians.
* Only 25 years ago, ten times as many testicular cancer patients died of the disease, but
* In 1995, testicular cancer was 70% curable. Now, it is 95-97% curable.
* Doctor’s still cannot determine a common factor that causes it.
What is Testicular Cancer?
The most common types of testicular cancer are seminoma and teratoma. Seminomas are made up of a single type of cell, whereas teratomas consist of more than one type of testicular cell. Occasionally, the cancer can be a combination of seminoma and teratoma. Other types of testicular cancer, such as lymphoma, arise from lymphatic tissue (tissue that forms part of the immune system) within the testicle. These are very rare.
Symptoms of Testicular Cancer:
The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a lump, irregularity or swelling in one testicle. Other symptoms that may be present are:
* a pulling sensation or feeling of unusual heaviness in the scrotum
* a dull ache in the groin or lower abdomen
* pain or discomfort (which may come and go) in the testicle or scrotum
* tenderness or enlargement of tissue in the breast area
* a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum (called a hydrocele).
Most lumps in the scrotum are not testicular cancer. However, anyone who notices one or more of the symptoms above should see their GP for advice.
How to detect Testicular Cancer:
Testicular cancer can't be prevented. To help detect it early, you should be aware of how your testicles feel normally, so that you notice any unusual lumps, irregularities, enlargements or areas of firmness.
A good time to feel the testicles is when you are having a warm bath or shower, when the scrotal skin is relaxed. Feel each testicle by rolling it between thumb and forefinger.
You may notice that one testicle is slightly larger than the other, which is normal. Also, it is normal to feel the epididymis - a small, firm, tube-like structure at the back of the testicle. This stores and transports sperm.
Physicians have various methods to help diagnose testicular cancer. Often a physical exam can rule out disorders other than cancer. Imaging techniques can help indicate possible tumors. One such method is ultrasound, which creates a picture from echoes of high-frequency sound waves bounced off internal organs.
But the only positive way to identify a tumor is for a pathologist to examine a tissue sample under a microscope. Doctors obtain the tissue by removing the entire affected testicle through the groin, a procedure called inguinal orchiectomy. Surgeons do not cut through the scrotum or remove just a part of the testicle, because if cancer is present, a cut through the outer layer of the testicle may cause the disease to spread locally. Besides enabling diagnosis, testicle removal also can prevent further growth of the primary tumor.
Stages of Testicular Cancer:
Physicians measure the extent of the disease by conducting tests that allow the doctor to categorize, or "stage," the disease. These staging tests include blood analyses, imaging techniques, and sometimes additional surgery. Staging allows the doctor to plan the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
* There are three stages of testicular cancer:
o Stage 1: Cancer confined to the testicle.
o Stage 2: Disease spread to retroperitoneal lymph nodes, located in the rear of the body below the diaphragm, a muscular wall separating the chest cavity from the abdomen.
o Stage 3: Cancer spread beyond the lymph nodes to remote sites in the body.
Through blood tests, doctors can check for tumor-associated markers, substances often present in abnormal amounts in cancer patients. Comparing levels of markers before and after surgical treatment helps doctors determine if cancer has spread beyond the testicles. Likewise, measuring marker levels before and after chemotherapy treatment can help show how well the chemotherapeutic drugs are working.
Treatment for Testicular Cancer:
No one treatment works for all testicular cancers. Seminomas and nonseminomas differ in their tendency to spread, their patterns of spread, and response to radiation therapy. Thus, they often require different treatment strategies, which doctors choose based on the type of tumor and the stage of disease.
Because they are slow growing and tend to stay localized, seminomas generally are diagnosed in stage 1 or 2. Treatment might be a combination of testicle removal, radiation, or chemotherapy. But surgical removal of lymph nodes usually is not necessary for seminoma patients because this type of tumor is what the University of Pennsylvania's Malkowicz calls "exquisitely sensitive" to radiation. Normally directed to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes but sometimes to other lymph nodes, radiation can effectively remove cancer cells there. Stage 3 seminomas are usually treated with multidrug chemotherapy.
Though most nonseminomas are not diagnosed at an early stage, cases confined to the testicle may need no further treatment other than testicle removal. These men must have careful follow-up for at least two years because about 10 percent of stage 1 patients have recurrences, which then are treated with chemotherapy. Stage 2 nonseminoma patients who have had testicle and lymph node removal may also need no further therapy. Some doctors opt for a short course of multidrug chemotherapy for stage 2 patients to reduce the risk of recurrence. Most stage 3 nonseminomas can be cured with drug combinations.
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/M...ar_cancer.html
http://tcrc.acor.org/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/t...larcancer.html
http://www.tc-cancer.com/
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/M...ar_cancer.html