Malignant neoplasm of the testis Testicular cancer

Testicular cancer accounts for 1% of neoplasms in men, with 3-10 cases per 100,000 men in Western societies. Its incidence has been increasing in recent decades, particularly in developed countries. The peak incidence is between 20 and 40 years of age.

Most testicular cancers originate from germ cells (cells that give rise to sperm) and may be related to other changes that are observed in a syndrome called “testicular digenesis”. This syndrome encompasses subfertility or infertility, cryptorchidism, testicular microlithiasis, hypospadias and disorders of sexual differentiation and appears to originate from changes occurring during pregnancy.

The diagnosis is usually made following a nodule noticed by the patient or as an incidental finding on a scrotal ultrasound, which is a test with great diagnostic accuracy. It is also necessary to stage the disease, usually using a computed tomography and blood tests for serological markers, which are sometimes elevated.

The treatment involves a surgery that consists in the removal of the entire testicle through an inguinal incision, and is called radical orchidectomy. It is possible to place a testicular prosthesis in the same surgery.

In certain situations, it may be necessary to supplement the surgery with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The use of these additional treatments is always necessary when the disease is no longer contained in the testis (when the patient has metastasized).

Fortunately, in most cases it is possible to obtain a cure for the disease even when the cancer is no longer located.