Testicular cancer occurs in men, typically around the age of 30 when normal cells in the testis change and become tumorigenic. The majority of testicular tumors originate from germ cells. While most testicular tumors respond favorably to radiation and chemotherapy, some more rare tumor that originate from stromal cells are unresponsive to certain therapies. It is very important to understand the cell type that a testicular tumor originates from to determine proper treatment.
Seminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancers
Seminomas arise from sperm producing germ cells of the testicles. According to the American Cancer Society, seminomas make up about 95 percent of germ cell tumors. Seminomas are most likely to occur in men aged 30 to 50. Fortunately, seminomas are very treatable by surgery and respond well to chemotherapy and radiation, if such treatment regimens are needed.
Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancers
Germ cells can also give rise to nonseminomatous tumors which often show characteristics of embryonic tissues or of the embryonal yolk sac. The Testicular Cancer Resource Center (TCRC) explains that nonseminomatous tumor types include embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac carcinoma, choriocarcinoma and teratoma. These tumor types are determined after biopsy by examination under a microscope. Nonseminomatous tumors have a slightly less favorable prognosis than seminomas but are still very treatable by chemotherapy and radiation.
Leydig Cell Tumors
Leydig cells are stromal cells that are found in the seminiferous tubules of the testicle. Leydig cells normally play a role in the production of male sex hormones. The National Institutes of Health explain that these tumors are very rare and usually benign. If tumors from Leydig cells do metastasize, however, they can be very dangerous because they do not usually respond to radiation or chemotherapy. Leydig tumors may interfere with male sex hormone production and sometimes produce estrogen.
Sertoli Cell Tumors
Sertoli cells act as supportive, stromal cells of the testicles that nourish sperm producing cells. The American Cancer Society explains that like Leydig cell tumors, Sertoli cell tumors are usually benign, but dangerous if they are metastatic.
