Testicular cancer is a type of cancer that affects the male reproductive system. It is also considered to affect the endocrine system considering the fact that testes produce testosterone; a hormone that is vital to the normal development of male physical characteristics. Testicular cancer develops in one or both testicles of young men. While not very common, this cancer can also develop in the testes of older men as well. What causes testicular cancer remains unclear. What doctors and scientists do know is that testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells in a testicle or both testicles become altered. Normally, healthy cells both grow and divide in a way that keeps your body functioning normally. Sometimes cells develop abnormalities, …show more content…
Symptoms of possible testicular cancer include swelling and tenderness of one or both testicles, a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, and pain in the scrotum. Back pain and pain in the groin area are also possible signs of testicular cancer. If a man is believed to have testicular cancer, there are several ways to diagnose and test. These tests include an ultra sound, blood tests and of the testicle. If the testicle is removed, it will be analyzed to determine the type of cancer. There are usually two types, seminoma and nonseminoma. Seminoma tumors can occur in all age groups, but if an older man develops testicular cancer it is usually seminoma. Seminomas usually aren't as aggressive as nonseminomas. Nonseminoma tumors grow and spread rapidly, and are considered to be the most aggressive out of the …show more content…
These factors include the type and stage of cancer, overall health, and the person’s preferences. Operations used to treat testicular cancer include surgery to remove your testicle and surgery to remove nearby lymph nodes. Testicle removal is the primary treatment for nearly all stages and types of testicular cancer. Surgery to remove nearby lymph nodes is performed through an incision in your abdomen, and the lymph nodes are then removed. Chemotherapy is another option, which uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body to kill cancer cells that may have migrated from the original tumor. Chemotherapy may be the only treatment, or it may be recommended before or after lymph node removal surgery. Another option is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams such as an X-ray to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is a treatment option that's commonly used in people who have the seminoma type of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is highly treatable even when cancer has spread, but the mental and emotional impact of testicular cancer can be damaging on a patient. For many men, their genitalia is their symbol of masculinity. It’s what defines them as being male. When testicular cancer causes a man to lose a testicle, he may feel “de-manned” or insecure in relationships due to not having both testicles. Testicular cancer can cause men to have low sex drive,