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Testicular Cancer

Introduction

Although testicular cancer makes up for just one percent of all cancers in men, it is the most widespread solid malignancy disturbing males between the ages of fifteen and thirty five. Approximately 95 percent of testicular cancers are germ cell tumors, and these are alienated evenly between seminomas and non-seminomatous GCTs or germ cell tumors. The issue of testicular cancer is unique to man (Armstrong, p.214). Though the incidence is much lower than that of prostate cancer, it has received a great deal of attention in recent years. It is primarily a disease of young men and can be devastating to a boy's or young man's self-esteem and body image. If treated properly and timely with chemotherapy, surgery, or both, then the diagnosis is not an automatic death sentence. Yet even when treated effectively, vigilant follow-up is required. One of the outcomes of the attention that testicular cancer has generated is a campaign to promote teaching boys and young men to practice regular testicular self-examination (Armstrong, p.214). This presents both an opportunity and a challenge for health care providers to be vigilant when it comes to encouraging and promoting health behaviors.

Background of Topic

GCTs or Testicular germ cell tumors are the most known malignancies disturbing adult men between the ages 15 to 35 years (Huyghe, Matsuda & Thonneau, p. 172). The availability of effective therapies and the development of highly sensitive assays for tumor markers have increased the cure rate for testicular GCTs to approximately 95 percent. The majority of males with a testicular tumor is there with a pain free mass. Less commonly, local symptoms (such as pain or heaviness in the lower abdomen), gynecomastia, or symptoms due to metastases may be the presenting manifestation. The initial evaluation of a man with a suspected testicular tumor should include a physical examination of the scrotum, supplemented by ultrasound to differentiate tumor from a hydrocele or epididymitis. The initial evaluation should include assessment of markers of serum tumor (beta-hCG, AFP, and LDH). Imaging studies should include MRI or CT of the pelvis and abdomen together with a chest x-ray to look for evidence of regional lymph node metastases. Prior to definitive treatment, the possible need for cryopreservation of sperm should also be considered. Radical inguinal orchiectomy is used both to provide the histologic diagnosis and local tumor control. Lesser surgical procedures, such as biopsy of the testicle, are generally contraindicated. The initial evaluation should provide information regarding lymphatic spread, the presence or absence of metastases, and the levels of serum beta-hCG, AFP, and LDH (Siegel, Ward, Brawley & Jemal, p.23). This information is used to define disease stage using the TNM classification. For men with metastatic testicular cancer, clinical features are used to stratify patients into good, intermediate, and poor subsets for both prognosis and to help determine treatment.

Current Statistics Related to the Topic as it Relates to Wellness

In 2012 so far, around 8600 men were diagnosed with the disease of testicular cancer and approximately 360 ...