Testicular Cancer in young sportsmen
Staging the cancer
Once your doctor confirms your diagnosis, the next step is to determine the extent (stage) of the cancer. To determine whether cancer has spread outside of your testicle, you may undergo:
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Computerised Tomography (CT) scan: CT scans take a series of X-ray images of your abdomen, chest and pelvis. Your doctor uses CT scans to look for signs that cancer has spread.
Blood tests: Blood tests to look for elevated tumour markers can help your doctor understand whether cancer is likely to remain in your body after your testicle is removed.
After these tests, your testicular cancer is assigned a stage. The stage helps determine what treatments are best for you.
Surgery/Operations used to treat testicular cancer include:
Surgery to remove your testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy) is the primary treatment for nearly all stages and types of testicular cancer. To remove your testicle, your surgeon makes an incision in your groin and extracts the entire testicle through the opening. A prosthetic, saline-filled testicle can be inserted if you choose.
Surgery to remove nearby lymph nodes (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection) is performed through an incision in your abdomen. Your surgeon takes care to avoid damaging nerves surrounding the lymph nodes, but in some cases, harm to the nerves may be unavoidable. Damaged nerves can cause difficulty with ejaculation, but won't prevent you from having an erection.
In cases of early-stage testicular cancer, surgery may be the only treatment needed.
If surgery is your only treatment for testicular cancer, your doctor will recommend a schedule of follow-up appointments. At these appointments — typically every few months for the first few years and then less frequently after that — you'll undergo blood tests, CT scans and other procedures to check for signs that your cancer has returned.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy treatment uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout your body to kill cancer cells that may have migrated from the original tumour.
Chemotherapy may be your only treatment, or it may be recommended before or after lymph node removal surgery. Chemotherapy is also likely to cause infertility, which can be permanent. Talk to your doctor about your options for preserving your sperm before beginning chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, you're positioned on a table and a large machine moves around you, aiming the energy beams at precise points on your body.
Radiation therapy is a treatment option that's sometimes used in people who have the seminoma type of testicular cancer. Radiation therapy may be recommended after surgery to remove your testicle.
Side effects may include fatigue, as well as skin redness and irritation in your abdominal and groin areas. Radiation therapy is also likely to cause infertility.
There's no way to prevent testicular cancer.
Some doctors recommend regular testicle self-examinations to identify testicular cancer at its earliest stage.
If you choose to do a testicular self-examination, a good time to examine your testicles is after a warm bath or shower. The heat from the water relaxes your scrotum, making it easier for you to find anything unusual.
To do this examination, follow these steps:
Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum.
Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle while placing your thumbs on the top.
Gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and the fingers. Remember that the testicles are usually smooth, oval shaped and somewhat firm.
It's normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other. Also, the cord leading upward from the top of the testicle (epididymis) is a normal part of the scrotum.
By regularly performing this exam, you can become more familiar with your testicles and aware of any changes that might be of concern.