Testicular Cancer

Testes are one of the most important parts of male reproductive system. Testes are responsible for production of sperm (which is the source of human life together with the female egg) and testosterone which starts at puberty. The testicular cancer is the development of cancerous/ malignant cells in the testes.

Causes of testicular cancer

The exact causes of testicular cancer are not known completely and are still a matter of research and analysis. However, the risk of testicular cancer is more for people who have a testicle that has failed to descend. Genes/ family history is generally quoted as another cause of testicular cancer.

Symptoms of testicular cancer

Swelling of a testicle could be the sign of testicular cancer. However, not all such swellings are testicular cancer. Such swellings could be caused by other conditions too (most of which are harmless). The lump (the testicular cancer) may or may not be accompanied by pain; so, do not consider the absence of pain as an indication of benign tissue. However, if you are in doubt then you should immediately contact a qualified doctor for advice. Detection of testicular cancer in its early stages can really prevent it from spreading around and substantially increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Diagnosis of testicular cancer

The first step in the diagnosis of testicular cancer is physical examination. The doctor can feel the lump and based on his/her observation recommend further testicular cancer tests. The next step is an ultrasound scan of the testes. The final diagnosis of testicular cancer involves biopsy. This test can confirm if the lump is malignant or benign. One important part of diagnosis of testicular cancer is to determine whether the testicular cancer is localized to that testicle or whether it has spread to other organs of the body.

Treatment of testicular cancer

As for most types of cancer, the treatment of testicular cancer too is done in three ways i.e. surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The best thing about the treatment of testicular cancer is that it is very successful for most patients. However, the golden rule that is applicable to all types of cancer is true for testicular cancer too i.e. catch it early to increase the effectiveness of treatment. Also, it's worth noting that removal of one testicle (as part of surgical procedure for treatment of testicular cancer) doesn't really effect your reproductive system (and if you want you can get a dummy testicle placed in the place of the removed testicle; just so it doesn't look bad).

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