By DR. RUBY BAZEER a.k.a DR RUBZ

Presented on FReHA Charity Dinner

Date: 29th March 2014

Venue: Paradox Arts Cafe

TESTICULAR CANCER

Supported by

WHAT IS TESTICLES?

• The word Testis is derived from the a Latin word “Testiculus” meaning “to Witness” i.e witness to a male’s virility

• The testicles are part of the male reproductive system. They make sperm and the male hormone testosterone. They are in the scrotum, which is the sac of loose skin below the penis, between the upper thighs.

• Each testis is about 1.5 inches long by 1 inch wide and is divided internally into lobes.

• Each lobe contains several seminiferous tubules, in which spermatogenesis takes place.

WHAT IS TESTICULAR CANCER?• Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the

testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. It is the most common cancer among males aged 20–39 years. Testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers. Even for the relatively few cases in which malignant cancer has spread widely, modern chemotherapy offers a cure rate of at least 80%. Not all lumps on the testicles are tumours, and not all tumours are malignant.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE?

• The cause of testicular cancer is not known. However, some things do seem to increase your risk, such as:

• A testicle that did not move from inside the belly down into the scrotum before birth (undescended testicle) even if it was later corrected surgically

• A history of cancer in one of the testicles

• A family history of testicular cancer, especially brothers and less so with fathers or sons

• Abnormal development of the testicles, penis, or kidneys.

• Industrial chemicals: workers in manufacturing 2-naphthylamine, benzidine, gasoline derivatives have ~fivefold increased risk

• HIV infection

• Testicular cancer is most common in men between the ages of 15 and 35. It is unusual after the age of 40 and in African-Americans and Hispanics.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of testicular cancer may include:

• a painless lump or swelling in a testicle

• pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum

• a testicle that has gotten bigger or a change in the way it feels

• a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum

• a dull ache in the lower belly or back

• Many of these symptoms can be caused by problems other than cancer.

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

• blood tests

• ultrasound scan, which uses sound waves and their echoes passed through your body from a small device held against your skin to create pictures of the testicles

HOW CAN I PROTECT MY TESTICLES?TESTICULAR SELF EXAMINATION

STAGES OF TESTICULAR CANCER

Stage 1

• Cancer is only found in one testical

Stage 2

• Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdominal

Stage 3

• Cancer has spread beyond further than the lymph nodes

Recurrent

• The cancer has returned in either the same place or another

HOW IS IT TREATED?

• You will have surgery to remove the testicle through a cut in the groin. Other treatments may include:

• chemotherapy, which uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells

• radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation to shrink the tumor and kill cancer cells

• Ask your healthcare provider about your ability to have children after treatment. After some treatments you may be sterile for a while or possibly for the rest of your life. Your provider may recommend that you put some sperm in a sperm bank before you start treatment. The sperm might then be used later on if you want to have children.

Most cases of testicular cancer can be cured. The earlier the cancer is found, the more likely the treatment will be successful. However, testicular cancer, like all cancers, can come back (recur) somewhere else in the body. Regular exams after treatment are important. Your healthcare provider will recommend frequent check -ups that include blood tests and CT scans. (A CT scan is a series of X-rays taken from different angles and arranged by a computer to show thin cross sections of the body.)

LOVE YOUR TESTI BROTHERS!