TESTICULAR CANCER

Good afternoon! Today's episode of wellness wednesday will focus on men. One of the major health challenges men face is Testicular cancer and we will be talking about it today.

Testicular cancer is a cancer that originates in one or both testicles, or testes. Testes are the male reproductive glands located inside the scrotum, which is the pouch of skin underneath the penis. Testes are responsible for producing sperm and the hormone testosterone.

Testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men ages 15 to 35, but it can occur at any age. It’s also one of the most treatable cancers, even if it’s spread to other areas. It most often begins with changes in the germ cells, these are the cells in the testicles that produce sperm. These germ cell tumors account for more than 90 percent of testicular cancers.

The average age of diagnosis is 33 years. Testicular cancer is very rare before puberty and becomes more common afterward. It is most commonly diagnosed in young and middle-aged men but can occur at any age, with 6% of cases diagnosed in boys and adolescents and 8% of cases are diagnosed in men aged 55 or older.

People with testicular cancer may experience a variety of symptoms or signs while some men do not experiences changes at all. Usually, an enlarged testicle or a small lump or area of hardness are the first signs of testicular cancer. Other symptoms, most times, do not appear until after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

The other symptoms are;

• A lump or enlargement in either testicle
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the abdomen or groin
• A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
• Pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum
• Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts
• Back pain

It's not clear what causes testicular cancer in most cases, but doctors are of the opinion that testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells in a testicle become altered. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep the body functioning normally. But sometimes some cells develop abnormalities, causing this growth to get out of control — these cancer cells continue dividing even when new cells aren't needed. The accumulating cells form a mass in the testicle.

There are also some risk factors that can increase the risk of developing testicular cancer. These are; having a family history of the disease, having abnormal testicular development, being of Caucasian descent, having an undescended testicle, which is called cryptorchidism.

There is really no way to prevent testicular cancer but doctors recommend regular testicle self-examinations to identify testicular cancer at its earliest stage. This is because the survival rate is higher for men diagnosed with early-stage cancer and lower for men with later-stage cancer.

Most importantly, see your doctor if you detect any pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area, especially if these signs and symptoms last longer than two weeks. Any lump, enlargement, hardness, pain, or tenderness should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. Stay Healthy!

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