Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer happens when cells start to abnormally grow and multiply in the testicles. The testicles are the reproductive organs responsible for making sperm and testosterone. Testicular cancer is very treatable. It can develop at any age, but is most common in men between the ages of 20 and 40.

Overlake Cancer Center is home to a team of experts in treating testicular cancer. We work in collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, giving our patients access to world-class cancer care as well as access to the latest treatments through clinical trials. We’ll work together to provide a treatment plan tailored to your needs, with the goal of eliminating the cancer and getting you back to your normal activities as soon as possible.

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Types of Testicular Cancer

There are different types of testicular cancer including:

• Seminoma tumors, which start in sperm-making cells called germ cells. This type of testicular cancer typically spreads slowly.
• Nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, which also start in germ cells. This type of testicular cancer tends to grow more quickly than seminoma.
• Stromal tumors, which start in tissue within the testicles called the stroma. This type of cancer is more common in children than in adults.
• Secondary cancers, which are cancers that start in another part of the body and spread to the testicles. Lymphoma is the most common type of cancer that spreads to the testicles.

Symptoms of Testicular Cancer

Knowing the early warning signs of testicular cancer can help identify it at an early stage, when it's easiest to treat. Symptoms of testicular cancer include:

• A lump: A lump is typically hard and can vary in size. It may feel like a grain of uncooked rice or a small, hard pea.  
• Discomfort or pain: Some people may experience discomfort, pain or a feeling of heaviness in the testicles or surrounding areas. Most testicular pain is not caused by cancer.
• Changes in shape or size: One testicle may become swollen, visibly larger or feel harder than the other.

Ask your primary care provider about any lumps or swelling in the testicles. These symptoms may not be caused by cancer, but it is important to have them evaluated.

Risk factors of Testicular Cancer

Certain factors can increase your likelihood of developing testicular cancer. It’s important to note that risk factors may mean a person is more likely to develop a disease, but not everyone with risk factors for a disease will actually develop the disease. Risk factors for testicular cancer include: 

• Undescended testicle: People born with an undescended testicle have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer. An undescended testicle means the testicle does not move from the abdomen into the scrotum before a baby is born. The testicle typically moves into the scrotum within the first few months of life. If it doesn’t move on its own, surgery can be used to move it.
• Age: This cancer is most common in males in their 20s or 30s, but can develop at any time.
• Family history: Having a close relative like a parent or sibling who has had testicular cancer can increase your risk. However, the majority of people who develop testicular cancer do not have a family history of it.
• Personal history: People who have had cancer in one testicle are more likely to develop it in the other testicle.
• HIV: Having HIV can make a person more likely to develop testicular cancer.

Diagnosing Testicular Cancer

Diagnosing testicular cancer typically includes the following steps and tests:

• A physical exam where a doctor examines the testicle and surrounding area.
• Blood tests, which can identify levels of certain proteins that are higher when a person has testicular cancer.
• An ultrasound, which allows doctors to see if a lump inside the testicles is fluid-filled and likely not cancerous, or solid and likely to be cancerous.

If these tests indicate cancer, the next step is surgery to remove the testicle and examine the lump under a microscope.

Diagnostic surgery for Testicular Cancer

For most cancers, doctors can take a small piece of tissue (a biopsy) and examine it under a microscope to see if it is cancerous – before they perform surgery. For testicular cancer, taking a biopsy increases the risk of cancer spreading, so removing the whole testicle is the safest way to diagnose it.

After surgery to remove a testicle, it’s important to know that:

• You’ll still be able to have children and enjoy sexual activity with only one testicle.
• If you wish to have children, your doctor may also recommend sperm banking before you have surgery and can connect you with a fertility clinic. This is often recommended if you’re likely to also need chemotherapy because chemotherapy can affect fertility.
• You will have the option to have a prosthetic testicle replace the one being removed. Some people choose this option so their scrotum and testicles look the same as they did before surgery.

After the surgery, doctors will examine the lump under a microscope to determine the type and stage of cancer and create a treatment plan.

Testicular Cancer Treatment

At Overlake, our team will work together to evaluate your exact type and stage of testicular cancer and choose the best treatment option for you. Some people, especially those who have early-stage cancer, only need surgery to treat testicular cancer. If you have a more advanced stage of cancer, you may need chemotherapy or radiation, treatments that can target and destroy cancer cells.

Testicular cancer is very treatable and the majority of people go on to live happy, healthy, cancer-free lives.

Testicular Cancer Expertise

The Overlake Cancer Center partners with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center to offer state-of-the-art testicular cancer care with compassion. To make an appointment or for answers to any questions, call us today at 425-454-8016.