How to Test for Testicular Cancer

Overview

Testicular cancer occurs when cells in the testicles begin to grow abnormally as a result of genetic mutations. Testicular cancer can occur in one or both testicles and generally occurs in young men. It is a treatable form of cancer that can commonly be completely cured. Testicular cancer is most dangerous because of its ability to spread to other tissues, a process known as metastasis.

Step 1

Get a full physical exam. Make sure your doctor reviews your family history and risk factors and checks your testicles for any unusual masses. He or she should also check the lymph nodes in your abdomen.

Step 2

Get an ultrasound. An ultrasound is a relatively simple procedure that uses sound waves to determine if any masses are filled with liquid (which can be a result of hydrocele or varicocele, neither of which is cancerous) or solid (which is potentially cancerous).

Step 3

Get blood tests. Many testicular cancers cause levels of certain proteins, commonly called tumor markers, to be elevated in the blood. Laboratories can do chemical tests that measure the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein, two proteins that indicate that testicular cancer has developed.

Step 4

Get surgery and tissue analysis. If your doctor suspects that you have testicular cancer, he will recommend that the affected testicle(s) be removed. Once the surgery has been performed, the surgeon will send the removed tissue to a pathologist, who will examine the tissue and determine if cancer was present or not.

Step 5

Receive additional testing. If the pathologist determines that the lump is cancerous, your doctor will recommend additional tests, such as an X-ray and a MRI to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.