5 Things You Need to Know About Testicular Cancer

1. Rates on the Rise

Testicular cancer rates are rising, although researchers don't know exactly why. Researchers do know that certain risk factors increase the chance of developing testicular cancer. Most testicular cancer patients are white men between 20 and 40. If you have a close relative with testicular cancer, experienced a testicular abnormality or a testicle failed to descend into the scrotum at birth, you have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer.

2. Know Your Body

It's important for men to regularly examine their testicles, so a doctor can get involved at an early stage if cancer develops. If you notice a lump or swelling in the testicle, make a doctor's appointment. The presence or absence of pain isn't an indicator; testicular cancer causes discomfort in some men, but is painless in others. Symptoms of testicular cancer aren't always confined to the testicles. If the cancer spreads to the abdomen, men may experience abdominal discomfort or a backache.

3. Take the Tests

After the doctor determines whether a man is coping with seminoma or nonseminoma testicular cancer, the patient receives further diagnostic tests to learn the extent of the disease. The doctor may conduct imaging tests, such as X-rays or CAT scans, to look for growths in the chest or brain. The doctor may remove small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes from the abdomen to check for the presence of cancer cells. The patient may also have blood tests to check for the presence of certain substances, such as alpha-fetoprotein, which are elevated when testicular cancer exists.

4. A Cure is Possible

Testicular cancer has a very high cure rate, even when the cancer has spread, or metastasized, to places in the body far from the testicles, such as the liver or brain. Most men with testicular cancer have surgery to remove the cancerous testicle. However, some cancer cells too small to detect can remain after surgery, so men may also have radiation or chemotherapy. With radiation therapy, a doctor beams high-energy X-rays from a machine onto the body to kill cancer cells, or the doctor may place radioactive materials on the affected area. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment because the drugs can travel through the body and kill cancer cells that may have spread.

5. Plan for the Future

Testicular cancer can affect young patients, so quality of life after treatment is a concern. Patients should ask their doctors about sperm-banking to protect future fertility and about the possibility of developing a second cancer in the remaining testicle. Testicular-cancer patients may consider enrolling in a study evaluating better ways to treat this cancer with fewer side effects.