Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in one or both testicles. The testicles are the male reproductive glands that produce and store the male reproductive cells, or sperm, in addition to producing hormones. Testicular cancer is also known as cancer of the testes, testes cancer, or testis cancer. (The plural of "testis" is "testes.")
Testicular cancer begins when cells in one or both testicles begin to grow and divide without stopping. These cells clump together to form lumps (masses), called tumors. Cancerous tumor cells can spread to other parts of the body if they are not treated and eliminated.
Testicular cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in young men, and also one of the most treatable. It occurs much more often among white men than among black men, and over the past 40 years, its incidence has been increasing for unknown reasons.
Due to advances in screening and treatment, testicular cancer is one of the most curable types of cancer. Most cases occur in men between the ages of 18 to 35, although this type of cancer also occurs in older men. Testicular cancer usually occurs in one testicle, although 2 percent to 3 percent of cases occur in both testicles.
The Testicles
The testicles (also called the testes or gonads) are the male sex glands and are part of the male reproductive system. (A single testicle is referred to as a testis.) They are located within a pouch of skin, the scrotum, just below the penis.
Specialized cells within the testicles produce the hormone testosterone, which is responsible for the male secondary sex characteristics, such as facial hair. Also within each of the testicles are structures called seminiferous tubules. These are tightly coiled structures that are lined with specialized cells. Among these specialized cells are germ cells, which give rise to the sperm cells that are capable of fertilizing a female ovum (egg).
Lying adjacent to each testicle inside the scrotum is the epididymis, narrow tubules where sperm cells are stored. The inner layer surrounding the testicle is the tunica albuginea; the outer layer covering the testicle is the tunica vaginalis. Leading from each testicle is a vas deferens, a narrow tube through which sperm pass on their way to the outside of the body during ejaculation. The spermatic cord attaches the testicle to the abdomen.
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How Testicular Cancer Starts
Like other cancers, testicular cancer starts in the body’s cells. Scientists know that cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for the regulation and health of cells. Genes are part of our DNA, which carry instructions for nearly everything our cells do.
Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy cells take over as old ones die out. But overtime, mutations can make a healthy cell abnormal. That cell keeps dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it. Doctors are not always sure how or why the genetic change occurs. It likely results from a combination of factors, such as heredity (characteristics passed down through families) and environment (exposure to chemicals and other substances, diet, lifestyle, etc.)
Most testicular cancers start when cells in one or both testicles begin to change and grow uncontrollably without stopping. Most often, it is the germ cells in the testicles where tumors begin. Germ-cell masses or tumors can also develop in the retroperitoneum (the space behind the abdomen), the lower portion of the spine, and in the mediastinum (a central area in the chest cavity between the lungs).
Types of Testicular Cancer
The majority of testicular cancers (90 percent to 95 percent) form in the sperm-producing cells known as the germ cells. Germ-cell tumors are classified into two main types: seminomas and nonseminomas:
Other less common types of testicular cancer are: Sertoli cell tumor, carcinomas of the rete testis, and Leydig cell tumor.