How long does it take to treat testicle cancer?
A cycle of chemotherapy for testicular cancer typically lasts 3 weeks. Testicular cancer may be treated with 1 to 4 cycles of chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the cancer. During treatment, a patient may receive 1 drug at a time or a combination of different drugs given at the same time.
What are 3 treatments for testicular cancer?
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the 3 main treatments for testicular cancer. Your recommended treatment plan will depend on: the type of testicular cancer you have – whether it's a seminoma or a non-seminoma.
Does insurance cover testicular cancer?
Medicare provides coverage for testicular cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Medicare Part A, which is inpatient insurance, covers treatment that someone receives during a hospital stay, including: cancer treatments in the hospital.Sep 28, 2020
Can you cure testicular cancer without surgery?
If there's a high suspicion that the cancer might be a testicular choriocarcinoma, chemo may be started without a biopsy or surgery to remove the testicle. If the cancer has spread to the brain, surgery (if there are only 1 or 2 tumors in the brain), radiation therapy aimed at the brain, or both may also be used.Sep 4, 2019
What are 5 warning signs of testicular cancer?
Signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include:A lump or enlargement in either testicle.A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum.A dull ache in the abdomen or groin.A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.Pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum.Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts.Back pain.Apr 24, 2020
Can testicular cancer be cured?
Testicular cancer is very curable. While a cancer diagnosis is always serious, the good news about testicular cancer is that it is treated successfully in 95% of cases. If treated early, the cure rate rises to 98%.Apr 9, 2019
What is the survival rate of testicular cancer?
The general 5-year survival rate for men with testicular cancer is 95%. This means that 95 men out of every 100 men diagnosed with testicular cancer will live at least 5 years after diagnosis. The survival rate is higher for people diagnosed with early-stage cancer and lower for those with later-stage cancer.
Is seminoma malignant?
Seminoma is a malignant germ cell tumor that involves most commonly the testicle or less frequently the mediastinum, the retroperitoneum, or other extra-gonadal sites. They are common among men ages 15-34 years old.Sep 18, 2021
Do you lose your balls with testicular cancer?
For almost all stages and types of testicular cancer, the testicle is removed. You might hear a doctor call this a radical inguinal orchiectomy.Jul 20, 2020
Do your balls hurt if you have testicular cancer?
Symptoms of testicular cancer may include: A painless lump or swelling on either testicle. If found early, a testicular tumor may be about the size of a pea or a marble, but it can grow much larger. Pain, discomfort, or numbness in a testicle or the scrotum, with or without swelling.
Does testicular cancer spread quickly?
There are two main types of testicular cancer – seminomas and nonseminomas. Seminomas tend to grow and spread more slowly than nonseminomas, which are more common, accounting for roughly 60 percent of all testicular cancers. How quickly a cancer spreads will vary from patient to patient.
Overview
- The objective of radiation therapy is to kill testicular cancer cells for a maximum probability of cure with a minimum of side effects. The role of radiation in the treatment for testicular cancer depends predominantly on the histologic classification and the stage of the cancer. Radiation is generally given in the form of high-energy beams that deposit the radiation dose in the body whe…
Staging
- Testicular cancer is staged using various systems in different countries. Using the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, testicular cancer is staged as follows: Stage I--tumor confined to testes; Stage II--tumor has spread to para-aortic lymph glands; Stage III--lymph gland involvement in chest or neck; Stage IV--cancer has spread outside of lymph glands, such as to lu…
- A staging system is a standardized way for the cancer care team to summarize and describe the extent of your cancer. Testicular cancer is staged using the TNM system created by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC).The staging system of testicular cancer contains 4 key pieces of information: 1. T refers to how much the primary tumor has spread to tissues next to the testi…
- Many organizations employ the tumor, nodes, and metastasis (TNM) classification system. In the U.S., the commonly used TNM staging system is the one developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. The TNM classification for testicular cancer differs from that for other solid tumors. It is unique in that it considers tumor markers in addition to the standard prognosti…
- The tests described in this section will help to show whether the cancer has spread (the stage). There are several staging systems for testicular cancer, but the most commonly used is the TNM system (see below). The TNM scores and the levels of tumour markers in the blood are used to work out an overall stage for the cancer. Stage I means that the cancer is found only in the testic…
Symptoms
- Signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include: 1. A lump or enlargement in either testicle 2. A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum 3. A dull ache in the abdomen or groin 4. A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum 5. Pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum 6. Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts 7. Back painCancer usually affects only one testicle.
- The cause of testicular cancer is unknown, although certain conditions can increase the risk that healthy cells will become abnormal. For example, individuals with a family history of the disease are at increased risk.Any condition that causes abnormal development of the testicle can increase risk. These include Klinefelter's syndrome and a condition called cryptorchidism, in which individ…
- sqaullie: What are the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer?Dr__Eric_Klein: The usual presenting sign is a lump in the testis. Occasionally men present with fatigue, loss of appetite or other systemic symptoms, or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. The latter symptoms usually mean Stage III cancer and treatment with chemotherapy, and most are still curable.tomj: I am 1…
Risk Factors
- Factors that may increase your risk of testicular cancer include: 1. An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism). The testes form in the abdominal area during fetal development and usually descend into the scrotum before birth. Men who have a testicle that never descended are at greater risk of testicular cancer than are men whose testicles descended normally. The risk rem…
- Prior injury or trauma to the testicles and recurrent actions such as horseback riding do not appear to be related to the development of testicular cancer.Most studies have not found that strenuous physical activity increases testicular cancer risk. Being physically active has been linked with a lower risk of several other forms of cancer as well as a lower risk of many other he…
- Djunga: Are there any risk factors for testicular cancer? Are you more at risk if you have had a vasectomy?Dr__Eric_Klein: Great question. The risk factors are a positive family history, history of an undescended testis, and age -- testis tumors are rare after age 35. Vasectomy does not increase the risk.Cat: My son was born with an undescended testicle (cryptorchidism) and had s…
Prevention
- There's no way to prevent testicular cancer.Some doctors recommend regular testicle self-examinations to identify testicular cancer at its earliest stage. But not all doctors agree. Discuss testicular self-examination with your doctor if you're unsure about whether it's right for you.
- Testicular cancer is not preventable but the earlier it is caught the more likely it is curable. Regular self-examination may be the easiest way to detect the presence of this type of cancer; however, concerned individuals should speak with a physician about the best method.The shower (or bath) is the best place to perform a self-exam because the heat relaxes the scrotum, making it easier t…
- Sarah: My husband had testicular cancer in his teens. We have young sons. At what age should they start self-exams?Dr__Eric_Klein: They should start at age 15. It is best done in the shower when the scrotal skin is lose and thin, once a month. Anything suspicious should be checked by a doctor.Sully: Is there any way to prevent testicular cancer or is it just random?Dr__Eric_Klein: NO …
Treatment
- Because of modern advancements in medicine, testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers. In 1970, a man with testicular cancer had only a 10% chance of survival. Today, modern treatments are so successful that with early detection the cure rate is almost 100%. Even if the cancer has widely metastasized, the cure rate is still 80%. Treatments include orchiectom…
- Arias: How is testicular cancer treated? Is treatment determined by stage or age of the patient?Dr__Eric_Klein: Treatment is determined by the stage (extent) of the cancer rather than the age of the patient. The initial treatment is removal of the testis, which may be followed by simple observation, radiation (for seminomas), surgery for removal of the lymph nodes in the abdomen…
Causes
- It's not clear what causes testicular cancer in most cases.Doctors know that testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells in a testicle become altered. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But sometimes some cells develop abnormalities, causing this growth to get out of control — these cancer cells continue dividing even when new …
Diagnosis
- 1. Epididymo-orchitis. 2. Torsion. 3. Lymphoma. 4. Other scrotal lumps - eg, hydrocele, haematocele, epididymal cyst, hernia. 5. Infection - eg, tuberculosis, syphilis, mumps.
- Arias: How is this disease diagnosed and what causes it?Dr__Eric_Klein: The cause of testis cancer is unknown. It’s usually self-diagnosed by the presence of a painless swelling or lump in the testis, although occasionally by enlarged lymph nodes or abdominal pain. Young men (ages 15 to 35) should perform a monthly self-exam. While the vast majority of testis cancers are cura…
- Men can experience back pain (as well as hip, groin, SI, and sacral pain) caused by referred pain from the male reproductive system. Back pain, changes in bladder function, and sexual dysfunction are the most common symptoms associated with male reproductive disorders.There are also a number of non-cancerous conditions that have similar symptoms to testicular cancer…
Prognosis
- There has been decline in mortality rates reported in Western countries.The prognosis is dependent on stage, tumour type and presence of low, medium or high levels of markers. 1. If the tumour is diagnosed early, over 95% of men are cured and treatment can be less intensive. 2. For NSGCTs, the overall results are less favourable than for seminomas. 3. Choriocarcinomas have t…
- Prognosis means the expected outcome of a disease. You may wish to discuss your prognosis with your doctor, but it is not possible for anyone to predict the exact course of the disease.To assess your prognosis, your doctor will consider: 1. 1. 1. your test results 2. the type of testicular cancer you have 3. the stage of the cancer 4. other factors such as your age, fitness and medica…
Undescended Testicle
- One of the main risk factors for testicular cancer is a condition called cryptorchidism, or undescended testicle(s). This means that one or both testicles fail to move from the abdomen (belly) into the scrotum before birth. Males with cryptorchidism are many times more likely to get testicular cancer than those with normally descended testicles.Normally, the testicles develop in…
- The testicles are part of a man’s reproductive system. Normally, each man has 2 testicles, and they are located under the penis in a sac-like pouch called the scrotum. They can also be called testes or gonads. The testicles produce sperm and testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone that plays a role in the development of a man’s reproductive organs and other masculine characterist…
- The testicles (or testes) are part of the male reproductive system. In adult men, each one is normally a little smaller than a golf ball. They are held in a sack of skin called the scrotum. The scrotum hangs beneath the base of the penis.The testicles make the male hormones testosterone. They also make sperm. Sperm cells are carried from the testicles through small tu…