What are the main symptoms of testicular cancer

The male reproductive system is very complex, and the testicles occupy a major position in this complex system and play a significant role. The health of the testicles directly affects the male's reproductive ability and is an important male reproductive organ. Testicular cancer is a malignant tumor, and its harm is very great. So, what are the main symptoms of testicular cancer? Let's learn about it together.

Clinically, we have observed that testicular tumors mostly occur in young adults aged 20 to 40, when sexual function is most active. Although they can also occur in infants and the elderly, they are less common. The age of patients with seminoma is older than that of patients with teratoma.

The early symptoms of testicular tumors are not obvious. The typical clinical manifestation is a gradually enlarging painless mass, which is discovered accidentally by the patient himself, his family or the doctor during routine examination. Half of the patients often feel that the testicles are heavy, and sometimes feel a pulling sensation in the scrotum, lower abdomen or groin, which is obvious when jumping or running. After standing for too long or being tired, local symptoms will be aggravated with a feeling of falling or mild pain. When there is an accidental collision or squeezing, the pain will be aggravated, which will attract the patient's attention and prompt him to seek medical treatment. Some patients often have symptoms similar to acute orchitis or epididymitis. After anti-inflammatory treatment, although the inflammation has been controlled, there is a mass that does not disappear. At this time, you should be alert to the possibility of testicular tumors.

The initial symptoms of a very small number of patients with testicular malignancies are often caused by tumor metastasis, such as intra-abdominal metastatic lymph nodes merging into masses that compress adjacent tissues and the celiac plexus, causing pain in the abdomen and lower back, and may also be accompanied by symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction, or coughing, shortness of breath, and blood in sputum due to lung metastasis.

In the case of cryptorchidism, when the ectopic testicle develops malignant changes, a gradually enlarging mass often appears in the pelvic cavity or inguinal area, and the absence of the ipsilateral testicle is found during physical examination. Testicular tumors can sometimes occur bilaterally, simultaneously or one after the other. Testicular tumors can occasionally cause symptoms of endocrine disorders, which often occur in patients with trophoblastic carcinoma, interstitial cell carcinoma, and embryonal carcinoma, manifesting as male breast hypertrophy, precocious puberty, or feminization.