Today, cancer is a disease that is claiming lives of men and women of various ages at an increasing rate. Testicular cancer is specific to the testicles, but it the abnormal cells may migrate to other organs. The condition killed 8, 300 people on a global scale according to the statistics from 2013. The deaths record in 2013 was an increase from that of 1990 by 1, 300 deaths. In the US, number of men diagnosed with the disease annually is 8000, while in the UK it is 2000.
The news is scary, but no need to be afraid because this cancer has the highest rate of cure. Survival rate after 5 years is averaged to be 95%. If the abnormal cells have not moved to other organs, five-year survival rate rises to 99%, but if it has, it reduces to 96%. Currently, chemotherapy gives 80% cure rate.
The area of origin of the condition in the body determines the name it is given. Because of that, even if cancerous cells spread to others parts of the body like the lungs, it is still called and treated as cancer of the testes. Research findings indicate that one out of 200 males is at risk of developing the disease. The cancer is the most prevalent one among males between the age of 20 and 39. Males below 15 years rarely develop the condition.
The signs and symptoms of this condition are normally very diverse, but the most characteristic one is a lump inside the testes. Routine screening for the disorder is discouraged, although monthly self-examinations are encouraged. This is more encouraged for people with a family that has a history of the disease. Young men are at a higher risk of developing the problem and should perform a self-examination more often, normally at monthly intervals.
Lumps normally occur in one testes and may be painful or not. Doctors will usually run more tests if the lump is present. Other common symptoms include painful abdomen or scrotum, breast enlargement, lower back pain, and the scrotum feeling heavy. Normally the signs may come singly or in any combination. If the cancerous cells spread to the lung, one may experience shortness of breath and a lump in the neck.
Hematocele, varicocele, and epididymitis have similar symptoms as the condition, therefore one should exercise caution. Evaluation of any lump occurring in the testes is normally conducted through scrotal ultrasound. The ultrasound determines the characteristics of the lump, which can help in identifying its kind. Some of the characteristics determined include location and size.
Location of metastases and extent of disease is performed through CT scans. Blood tests may also utilize to identify the disease. Tumor markers in form of specific proteins within the bloodstream are made use of during the blood test. Alpha-fetoprotein, LDH-1, and human chorionic gonadotropin are the proteins that serve as tumor markers for the detection of the illness through blood tests. The efficiency of blood tests is not quite high.
Options for treatment are three. The options are radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Specialists who perform these treatments are different. Radiation therapy is done by radiation oncologists, chemotherapy is done by medical oncologists, while surgery is performed by urologists. The time treatment starts determines success.
The news is scary, but no need to be afraid because this cancer has the highest rate of cure. Survival rate after 5 years is averaged to be 95%. If the abnormal cells have not moved to other organs, five-year survival rate rises to 99%, but if it has, it reduces to 96%. Currently, chemotherapy gives 80% cure rate.
The area of origin of the condition in the body determines the name it is given. Because of that, even if cancerous cells spread to others parts of the body like the lungs, it is still called and treated as cancer of the testes. Research findings indicate that one out of 200 males is at risk of developing the disease. The cancer is the most prevalent one among males between the age of 20 and 39. Males below 15 years rarely develop the condition.
The signs and symptoms of this condition are normally very diverse, but the most characteristic one is a lump inside the testes. Routine screening for the disorder is discouraged, although monthly self-examinations are encouraged. This is more encouraged for people with a family that has a history of the disease. Young men are at a higher risk of developing the problem and should perform a self-examination more often, normally at monthly intervals.
Lumps normally occur in one testes and may be painful or not. Doctors will usually run more tests if the lump is present. Other common symptoms include painful abdomen or scrotum, breast enlargement, lower back pain, and the scrotum feeling heavy. Normally the signs may come singly or in any combination. If the cancerous cells spread to the lung, one may experience shortness of breath and a lump in the neck.
Hematocele, varicocele, and epididymitis have similar symptoms as the condition, therefore one should exercise caution. Evaluation of any lump occurring in the testes is normally conducted through scrotal ultrasound. The ultrasound determines the characteristics of the lump, which can help in identifying its kind. Some of the characteristics determined include location and size.
Location of metastases and extent of disease is performed through CT scans. Blood tests may also utilize to identify the disease. Tumor markers in form of specific proteins within the bloodstream are made use of during the blood test. Alpha-fetoprotein, LDH-1, and human chorionic gonadotropin are the proteins that serve as tumor markers for the detection of the illness through blood tests. The efficiency of blood tests is not quite high.
Options for treatment are three. The options are radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Specialists who perform these treatments are different. Radiation therapy is done by radiation oncologists, chemotherapy is done by medical oncologists, while surgery is performed by urologists. The time treatment starts determines success.
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