Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility.
| Testicular cancer | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Testis tumor |
| 7.4 × 5.5-cm seminoma in a radical orchiectomy specimen. | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| Symptoms | Lump in the testicle, swelling or pain in the scrotum |
| Usual onset | 20 to 34 years old males |
| Types | Germ cell tumors (seminomas and nonseminomas), sex-cord stromal tumors, lymphomas |
| Risk factors | Undescended testis, family history of the disease, previous history of testicular cancer |
| Diagnostic method | Physical exam, ultrasound, blood tests, surgical removal of the testicle |
| Differential diagnosis | Spermatocele, epididymitis, inguinal hernia, appendix testis |
| Treatment | Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation |
| Prognosis | Five-year survival rate rates ~ 95% (US) |
| Frequency | 686,000 (2015) |
| Deaths | 9,400 (2015) |
Risk factors include an undescended testis, family history of the disease, and previous history of testicular cancer. More than 95% are germ cell tumors which are divided into seminomas and non-seminomas. Other types include sex-cord stromal tumors and lymphomas. Diagnosis is typically based on a physical exam, ultrasound, and blood tests. Surgical removal of the testicle with examination under a microscope is then done to determine the type.
Testicular cancer is highly treatable and usually curable. Treatment options may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or stem cell transplantation. Even in cases in which cancer has spread widely, chemotherapy offers a cure rate greater than 80%.
Globally testicular cancer affected about 686,000 people in 2015. That year it resulted in 9,400 deaths up from 7,000 deaths in 1990. Rates are lower in the developing than the developed world. Onset most commonly occurs in males 20 to 34 years old, rarely before 15 years old. The five-year survival rate in the United States is about 95%. Outcomes are better when the disease remains localized.