Testicular Cancer

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• Overview
• About the testicles
• Types of testicular cancer

Overview

Testicular cancer begins when normal cells in a testicle begin to change and grow uncontrollably, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to other parts of the body). Testicular cancer is almost always curable if found early, and it is usually curable even when at an advanced stage. Another name for testicular cancer is testis cancer.

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About the testicles

The testicles are part of the male reproductive system. Each man has two testicles, and they are located under the penis in a sac-like pouch called the scrotum. They can also be called testes or gonads. The testicles produce sperm and testosterone, a hormone which plays a role in the development of the male reproductive organs and other male characteristics.

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Types of testicular cancer

Most types of testicular cancer develop in the sperm-producing cells known as germ cells, and are referred to as germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors most commonly start in the testicles but can also develop in other parts of the body, such as the retroperitoneum (the back of the abdomen near the spine), the mediastinum (the central portion of the chest between the lungs), the lower spine, and very rarely, the pineal gland (a small gland in the brain). In women, germ cell tumors may develop in the ovaries.

There are two different categories of germ cell tumors that occur in the testicles: seminomas and non-seminomas. Generally, non-seminomas tend to grow and metastasize (spread) very quickly, while this is less often true of seminomas.

Teratoma is a unique type of non-seminoma. Unlike the other types of germ cell tumors, it is not very sensitive to chemotherapy. The primary treatment for teratoma is to remove it with surgery. Although a teratoma is less likely to spread, it needs to be removed because it can spread and because it can transform into a much more dangerous cancer if left in place.

This section provides information only on germ cell tumors (seminoma and non-seminoma) of the testicles in males who have reached puberty. Other, less common types of testicular tumors include Leydig cell tumor, Sertoli cell tumor, and carcinomas of the rete testis. These can often be successfully treated by surgically removing the affected tissue; however, if they spread to other areas of the body, they are more difficult to treat. Testicular cancer is uncommon in boys and teenagers who have not yet reached puberty; childhood testicular cancer is approached differently than cancer in post-pubescent teenage males and adult men. Other types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia, occasionally spread to the testicles. To find out more about cancer that started in another part of the body and spread to the testicles, read about that specific type of cancer.

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