Testicular Cancer

Summary

Testicles, or testes, make male hormones and sperm. They are two egg-shaped organs inside the scrotum, the loose sac of skin behind the penis. You can get cancer in one or both testicles.

Testicular cancer mainly affects young men between the ages of 20 and 39. It is also more common in men who:

• Have had abnormal testicle development
• Have had an undescended testicle
• Have a family history of the cancer

Symptoms include pain, swelling, or lumps in your testicles or groin area. Doctors use a physical exam, lab tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy to diagnose testicular cancer. Most cases can be treated, especially if found early. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Regular exams after treatment are important.

Treatments may also cause infertility. If you may want children later on, you should consider sperm banking before treatment.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute

Encyclopedia

• After chemotherapy – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Alpha fetoprotein Medical Encyclopedia
• Leydig cell tumor Medical Encyclopedia
• Pelvis MRI scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Scrotal ultrasound Medical Encyclopedia

Diagnosis and Tests

• Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test National Library of Medicine
• Can Testicular Cancer Be Found Early? American Cancer Society
• Testicular Cancer Screening National Cancer Institute
• Tests for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Tumor Marker Tests National Library of Medicine
• Ultrasound – Scrotum Radiological Society of North America

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society American Cancer Society
• Find a Cancer Doctor American Society of Clinical Oncology
• National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
• Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services National Cancer Institute

Statistics and Research

• Cancer Statistics: Testicular Cancer National Cancer Institute
• Key Statistics for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• What’s New in Testicular Cancer Research? American Cancer Society

Treatments and Therapies

• Chemotherapy for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Drugs Approved for Testicular Cancer National Cancer Institute
• High-Dose Chemotherapy and Stem Cell Transplant for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Radiation Therapy for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Surgery for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Treatment Options for Testicular Cancer, by Type and Stage American Cancer Society

Children

• Childhood Testicular Cancer Treatment National Cancer Institute
• General Information about Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors National Cancer Institute

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Testicular Neoplasms National Institutes of Health

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Testicular Cancer National Cancer Institute
• Testicular Cancer American Academy of Family Physicians
• What Is Testicular Cancer? American Cancer Society

Teenagers

• How to Perform a Testicular Self-Examination Nemours Foundation

Living With

• Living as a Testicular Cancer Survivor American Cancer Society

Journal Articles

• Testicular Cancer

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer American Cancer Society
• Testicular Exam Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Specifics

• Scrotal Masses Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Patient Handouts

• Testicle lump Medical Encyclopedia
• Testicular biopsy Medical Encyclopedia
• Testicular cancer Medical Encyclopedia
• Testicular self-examination Medical Encyclopedia

Related Issues

• Testicular Microlithiasis: Is It Linked with Testicular Cancer? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• What Causes Testicular Cancer? American Cancer Society