TESTICULAR CANCER

WHAT IS TESTICULAR CANCER?

 Is a disease in which cells become
malignant (cancerous) in one or both testicles.

 Occurs most in men aged 20-39

and is the most common for ages 1534

 Chance of getting it 1 in 300 and

death chance is 1 in 5,000

 Occurs mostly in white men and

has doubled over 40 years but has recently increased among black men

 Accounts for only 1% of all

cancers in America

 Reason for racial incidence is

unknown

 8,000 men diagnosed and 390

deaths each year

CAUSES, RISKS FACTORS,& PREVENTION

 No exact known causes but meiosis might be involved  3 major risk factors: Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism), congenital abnormalities, and family history  Knowing if you have some of the risk factors may lead to getting self tests  Correcting cryptorchidism earlier in life helps somewhat

EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND STAGING

 Most of the time it can detected most common sign is a lump on the testicle  Diagnosed by blood test, ultrasound, or biopsy  Imaging test and blood test can be used to find out the stage  TNM is way to graph what stage it is in

The stage of your cancer is very important for planning your treatment and estimating your prognosis

TREATING TESTICULAR CANCER

 Surgery, Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant  Clinical trials help treat testicular cancer by offering solutions  Complementary methods like meditation are things done to help you feel better  Different treatment for stage I, II, and III seminomas or non-seminomas  Treatment of recurrent germ cell tumors depends on initial stage  Alternative treatments may be offered as cancer cures but are not scientifically proven to be safe

TREATING TESTICULAR CANCER CONTD

Seminomas stage I,II, and III
Non-seminomas stage I,II, and III

 I cured 95% of time via

radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or observation

 I cured 98% of the time via

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) or observation over a period of time

 II cured through surgery or

radical inguinal orchiectomy

 II cured via (RPLND) or

chemotherapy

 III treatment is influenced via

PET scans

 III cured via surgery

TALKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR

 Have honest, open discussion with your doctor if you think you have testicular cancer  Some questions you may want to ask are: What kind of testicular cancer do I have?, What treatment choices are there? Remember to ask even if it may seem unimportant  Other health care professionals such as nurses and social workers might also have the answer to your question

CLINICAL TRIALS
 Are carefully controlled research studies that are done with patients that volunteer  Info about clinical trials can be obtained from your doctor, websites, or friends and family  Clinical trials are one way to get state of the art treatment

AFTER TREATMENT
 Follow up care is extremely important after treatment of testicular cancer because it is easily curable  Your health care will tell you what to do next like: blood tests, x-rays, and other imaging test  IT is up to YOU to follow the doctors recommendations  Some lifestyle changes you may want to consider are: healthier diet, ending bad habits, and exercising to deal with fatigue

 After treatment you may be overwhelmed by emotions and getting support will help

 If treatment doesnt work you can continue trying to have the cancer cured

WHATS NEW IN TESTICULAR CANCER RESEARCH?

 Studies have identified factors to help predict which patients have a particularly good prognosis and may not need lymph node surgery or radiation therapy  Stem cell transplant is being studied as a strategy for helping men with a poor prognosis tolerate more intensive chemo therapy  New drugs and drug combinations are being tested for patients with recurrent cancer.

REFERENCES
 "Testicular Cancer: Questions and Answers -

 "Testicular cancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicular _Cancer>.  "Dictionary of Cancer Terms National Cancer Institute." National Cancer Institute - Comprehensive Cancer Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/>.

National Cancer Institute." National Cancer Institute - Comprehensive Cancer Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet /sites-types/testicular>.  "Detailed Guide." American Cancer Society :: Information and Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/TesticularCanc er/DetailedGuide/index>.

GLOSSARY
 Acute- Symptoms or signs that begin and worsen quickly, not chronic  Chronic- A disease or condition that persists or progresses over a long period of time
 Benign- Not cancerous. Benign
tumors may grow large but do not spread to other parts of the body. Also called nonmalignant

 Malignant- Cancerous.
Malignant tumors can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body

GLOSSARY
 Metastasis- The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed by cells that have spread is called a metastatic tumor or a metastasis. The metastatic tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor.  Carcinoma- Cancer that begins in skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.  Incidence- The number of new cases of a disease diagnosed each year.  Sarcoma- A cancer of the bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.  Myeloma- Cancer that arises in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell.

GLOSSARY
 Diagnosis- The process of identifying a disease, such as cancer from its signs and symptoms.
 Radiation Therapy- The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from outside the body (external beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near the cancer cells (internal radiation therapy). Systematic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body. Also called irradiation and radio therapy.

 Prognosis- The likely outcome or course of disease; the chance of recovery or recurrence.

 Chemotherapy- Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells.

GLOSSARY
 Clinical Trial- A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of disease. Also called clinical study.

SELF EXAM