Urologic surgery focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males.
Urologic surgery is the integration of surgical activities for the pelvis-the colon, urogenital, and gynecological organs-primarily for the treatment of obstructions, dysfunction, malignancies, and inflammatory diseases.
What is testicular cancer?
Testicular cancer is a disease that occurs when cancerous (malignant) cells develop in the tissues of a testicle. The development of cancerous cells in both testicles can occur, but is very rare. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 20 to 35. The disease usually is curable.
What are the types of testicular cancer?
There are two primary types of testicular cancers: seminoma and non-seminoma. Seminoma arises from young germ cells, grows slowly, and stays relatively immobile. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of testicular cancers are seminomas. Non-seminoma evolves from more mature germ cells. These tend to be more aggressive tumors. There are also testicular cancers that are a blend of both seminoma and non-seminoma.
What are the risk factors for developing testicular cancer?
Risk factors for developing testicular cancer include:
Undescended testicle(s): This is when one or both testicles do not move down into the scrotum before birth.
Race: Non-Hispanic, white men are more likely to develop this cancer than men of other races and ethnicities.
Personal or family history: Men with a brother or father who had testicular cancer have an increased risk of developing the condition themselves. Men who have had cancer themselves in one testicle are at increased risk of developing a second cancer in the other testicle.
Infertility: Men who are infertile have a higher likelihood of developing testicular cancer. Some of the same factors that result in infertility may also be related to the development of testicular cancer but there is not a good understanding of the connection.
How is testicular cancer treated at each stage?
Nearly all testicular cancers start in the germ cells (the cells that become sperm or eggs). The main types of testicular germ cell tumors are seminomas and non-seminomas. Non-seminomas tend to grow and spread faster than seminomas. Seminomas are more sensitive to radiation, and both kinds are very sensitive to chemotherapy. If a testicular tumor has both seminoma and non-seminoma cells, it is treated as a non-seminoma.
The three main kinds of treatment for testicular cancer are:
Surgical treatment: This treatment can include removing the testicle (orchiectomy) and removing associated lymph nodes (lymph-node dissection). Usually, orchiectomy is performed for both seminoma and non-seminoma testicular cancers, whereas lymph node removal is used mostly for non-seminomas. Surgery may also be performed in certain situations to remove tumors from the lungs or liver if they have not disappeared following chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-dose X-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation might be used after surgery for patients with seminomas to prevent the tumor from returning. Usually, radiation is limited to the treatment of seminomas.
Chemotherapy: This treatment uses drugs such as cisplatin, bleomycin, and etoposide to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy has improved the survival rate for people with both seminomas and non-seminomas.
