Do you know the common knowledge about testicular cancer?

Do you know the common knowledge about testicular cancer? The emergence of testicular cancer has a serious impact on the patient's physical and mental health and life. Tumors occurring in the testicles are generally malignant. Therefore, for a disease like testicular cancer, we must learn more about it in order to take daily precautions. So, do you know the common knowledge about testicular cancer?

The cause of testicular cancer is still unknown. It is currently believed that its onset is related to both genetic and acquired factors. Among them, cryptorchidism is the most closely related. The chance of developing tumors in cryptorchidism is 10 to 14 times greater than that in normal people. Cryptorchidism in the abdominal cavity is more likely than in the groin. Testicular fixation does not reduce the incidence of malignant changes, but it can make tumors easier to detect.

The most common symptom is a gradual, painless enlargement of the testicles with a feeling of heaviness. About 10% of patients experience pain due to intratesticular bleeding or infarction, and 10% may experience metastatic symptoms, such as retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis and back pain due to compression of nerve roots. Pulmonary metastasis may cause cough and dyspnea, and bone metastasis may cause bone pain. Testicular Leydig cell tumors should be considered in children with testicular masses and symptoms of precocious puberty, or in adults with gynecomastia and loss of libido.

Physical examination can palpate the enlarged, tough, heavy testicle on the affected side, and the transillumination test is negative. Testicular tumor markers, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations may be increased in the serum of patients with seminoma, choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma or mixed germ cell tumor, respectively. B-ultrasound shows that the testicles are uniformly enlarged, the echo is enhanced but uneven, and the blood flow signal is strong. CT examination mainly observes the metastasis of retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

It is currently believed that factors such as testicular germ cell abnormalities, elevated temperature, blood supply disorders, endocrine disorders, and gonadal dysgenesis may be associated with the malignant transformation of cryptorchidism. The relationship between cryptorchidism and testicular tumors has attracted the attention of scholars from various countries, who emphasize that orchiopexy before the age of 6 is an effective measure to prevent the malignant transformation of cryptorchidism, and has achieved significant results.