testicular cancer epididymis |
Seminoma would be the expansion of malignant cells inside testes (testicles), which can cause enlarged testicles or result in a lump from the scrotum (scrotal sac).
CAUSE
Most testicular cancers appear in people under 40 years.
The main cause is unknown, but there are several factors that offer the occurrence of testicular cancer:
# Undescended testicles (testes that wont descend in the scrotum)
# Abnormal testis development
# Klinefelter syndrome (a sex chromosome disorder characterized by 'abnormal' amounts of male hormones, sterility, breast enlargement (gynecomastia), and small testes).
Other factors that could be the reason testis cancer though the scientific studies are still continuing of contact with certain chemicals and infection by HIV.
If in a family there exists a good reputation for seminoma, then a risk increases.
1% of most cancers in men is seminoma.
Testicular cancer is easily the most common cancer in men aged 15-40 thun.
Seminoma is classified into:
1. Seminoma: 30-40% of most testicular tumors.
Usually present in men aged 30-40 a number of is limited on the testis.
2. Non-seminoma: is 60% of testicular tumors.
Subdivided into several subcategories:
- Embryonal carcinoma: about 20% of seminoma, occurs for the ages of 20-three decades old and incredibly vicious. Growing very rapidly and spread for the lungs and liver.
- Vesicula umbilicus tumor: approximately 60% of kinds of seminoma in boys.
- Teratomas: about 7% of testicular cancer in men and 40% in boys. - Choriocarcinoma.
- Tumor stroma cells: a tumor consists of cells of Leydig, Sertoli cells and granulosa cells. These tumors represent 3-4% off testicular tumors. Tumors can produce the hormone estradiol, that could produce one of several warning signs of testicular cancer, that is gynecomastia.
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms such as:
- Testes palpable enlarged or odd (significantly less usual)
- A lump or swelling in a single or both testicles
- Dull pain within the back or lower abdomen - Gynecomastia
- Discomfort / pain inside the testicle or scrotum feels heavy.
Nonetheless it may also not found any symptoms at all.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is founded on symptoms and physical examination.
Other tests may be performed:
# Scrotal ultrasound
# Blood tests for tumor markers AFP (alpha fetoprotein), HCG (HCG) and LDH (lactic dehydrogenase).
Nearly 85% of non-seminoma cancer showed elevated numbers of AFP or beta HCG.
# Chest radiograph (to determine the spread of cancer towards the lungs)
# CT scan on the abdomen (to look for the spread of cancer on the abdominal organs)
# Biopsy tissue.
TREATMENT
Treatment is dependent upon the kind of, stage and severity of disease.
Once cancer can be found, the first step is to determine the kind of cancer cell.
# Then set happens: Stage I: Cancer has never spread beyond the testicle
# Stage II: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes inside the abdomen
# Stage III: Cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes, could get towards heart or lungs.
There are 4 forms of treatment that can be used:
1. Surgery: elimination of the testes (orkiektomi and removing lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy
2. Radiotherapy: using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays, often done after lymphadenectomy in non-seminoma tumors.
Also used being a primary treatment in seminoma, specially in its initial phases.
3. Chemotherapy: by using drugs (eg cisplatin, bleomycin, and etoposide) to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy has improved everything expectancy of patients with non-seminoma tumors.
4. Marrow transplantation: do if the chemotherapy had caused destruction of the marrow of the patient.
Seminoma tumors
- Stage I were treated with irradiation orkiektomi and abdominal lymph nodes
- Stage II helped by orkiektomi, lymph node irradiation and chemotherapy with sisplastin
- Stage III orkiektomi and treated with multi-drug chemotherapy.
Non-seminoma tumors:
- Stage I: treated with orkiektomi and abdominal lymphadenectomy can be performed
- Stage II: addressed with orkiektomi and abdominal lymphadenectomy, possibly followed by chemotherapy
- Stage III: given chemotherapy and orkiektomi.
If the cancer is often a recurrence of any previous seminoma, chemotherapy emerged some drugs (ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide or vinblastine).