Defining What Testicular Cancer Really Is

One of the most treatable and curable forms of cancer is the type that affects the testicles. Testicular cancer typically develops in young men although older men do get it too. This disease can...

One of the most treatable and curable forms of cancer is the type that affects the testicles. Testicular cancer typically develops in young men although older men do get it too. This disease can affect just one testicle or both. The testicles comprise part of the reproductive system in men and are housed within the scrotum, a sac of skin which descends from the penis’s base.

Getting to Know the Testes

Testosterone is the hormone produced by the testicles as well as sperm. The cells comprising the sperm travel from the testicles to the seminal vesicles via the vas deferens. The prostate gland produces a fluid which is then mixed with the sperm and then ejaculated through the urethra, the same tube that urine passes through in the penis.

Several kinds of cells are housed within the testicles and it is these cells that have been known to turn into cancer. Because these cells are different, they will produce slightly different kinds of testicular cancer so it is important to know which ones are which for proper treatment of the disease.

Types of Tumors

Almost all of the cases of testicular cancer can be linked to certain cells called germ cells. These are the ones that produce sperm and you will discover that there are two kinds: nonseminomas and seminomas. Testicular cancer linked to these two types of germ cells have popped up roughly 50/50 and some cancer cases have been known to exhibit both types of cells.

The seminomas are derived from the germ cells which produce sperm in the testicle. Of the seminomas, there are two classes of them: typical or classical seminomas and spermatocytic seminomas. Only through microscopic analysis can these be distinguished. Over 90% of testicular cancer linked to seminomas are of the typical (classical) variety and typically occur in men in their 30′s to 50′s.

Older men tend to have the spermatocytic seminomas that cause testicular cancer. Mid 50′s to the 70′s is the typical age range. Luckily, these are slow growing cancers and do not normally spread throughout the body.

When it comes to the nonseminoma germ cell cancerous tumors, there are four classes of them and typically strike young men in their teens all the way to the 40′s. For some men, their cancer may involve more than one class. Here are the four kinds: teratoma, choriocarcinoma, yolk sac carcinoma and embryonal carcinoma.

The embryonal carcinoma occurs in about 4 out of 10 men who have the nonseminoma testicular cancer. This type can spread outside the testicle area and grows fast. With the yolk sac carcinoma, these typically occur in younger men and children and can be treated with much success. They are so named “yolk sac” because that is what they look like under the microscope.

The teratomas look like they have multiple layers when seen under a microscope. With the choriocarcinomas, these are not common and can be quite destructive, spreading throughout the body. They are detected easily because they secrete a special protein found in the blood.

Self-examination of the testes is one of the main ways to find signs of cancer early because if caught early in the game, the chance of a cure is very high. That is why it is important to know the type of tumor present in testicular cancer so doctors can personalize the treatment.

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