The most common symptom in testicular cancer is a palpable painless mass and swelling in the testis. Sometimes testicular pain may also be felt. Most testicular cancers are diagnosed during examination or by ultrasound.
What is Testicular Cancer?
Although testicular tumors are rare, they are the most common malignant tumors in men aged 15-35 years. It covers 1-2% of all malignant tumors in men. The probability of men to develop testicular tumors during their lifetime is 0.2%.
The exact cause of testicular tumors is unknown. However, it is known that both congenital and acquired factors are effective in the etiology of these tumors. The most important among these factors is cryptoorchidism (undescended testis). 7-10% of patients with testicular tumors have a history of undescended testicles. In addition, tumors in close family members, exposure to some intrauterine hormones, some chromosomal diseases such as Klinefelter, testicular tumors or intratubular neoplasia, previous orchitis or testicular trauma are more common in individuals.
Diagnosis in testicular cancer is usually physical. established by inspection. A painless unilateral testicular mass should be considered a malignant formation until proven otherwise. However, in 20% of patients, pain around the testis may accompany the clinic. Patients with testicular tumors may rarely present with breast enlargement (gynecomastia 7%) and symptoms related to disseminated disease (blood when coughing, bone pain, etc.).
The most commonly used imaging method in diagnosing testicular tumors is scrotal ultrasound. The sensitivity of scrotal ultrasound in diagnosis is almost 100%. After detecting a mass in the testis with ultrasound, it is absolutely necessary to check the blood levels of some tumor markers.
These tumor markers (βHCG: β human chorionicgonadotropin, LDH: Lactate dehydrogenase, AFP: Alphafetoprotein) are important in the staging of the disease and in the follow-up of its course. In cases with suspected advanced disease, examinations such as computed tomography and bone scintigraphy may be required.
Surgical treatment is the basic treatment that should be performed without delay when a testicular tumor is detected. In the surgery called radical inguinal orchiectomy, the testis is removed with a 5-6 cm incision made through the inguinal canal. Appropriate further treatment and follow-up according to the pathology result rotocols are determined. Some patients may require treatments such as lymph node removal, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. After the pathology result is out, the necessary treatment is decided together with the relevant branch physicians (medical oncologist, radiation oncologist).
Testicular Cancer and PET MR
PET MR, CT radiation from PET/CT It offers the benefits of PET and MR, which are known to be powerful diagnostic tools in testicular cancer, without a low dose.
What is the Incidence of Testicular Cancer?
Only 3 out of 100,000 men get testicular cancer each year cases are usually men between the ages of 20-34.
What are the Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer?
The only known risk factor for testicular cancer is a history of undescended testis. Therefore, people diagnosed with undescended testis and treated for this disease should undergo regular testicular examination.
What are the Stages of Testicular Tumor?
Stage 1: Tumor is only in testis. Stage 2: Tumor It has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen. Stage 3: The tumor has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen and other organs, especially the lung.
To determine the stage of the disease, chest and abdominal tomography is performed. In addition, testicular tumor marker levels are checked in the person.
How is Testicular Cancer Treated?
Testicular cancer is the tumor that responds best to treatment among all organ tumors. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used alone or in combination in the treatment. However, the first step of treatment is surgical removal of the affected testis. This process is usually additional treatments; radiotherapy follows chemotherapy.
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