Testicular cancer

Testicular cancer most commonly presents as a hard, painless nodule on one testis noticed by the patient or at a regular clinic examination.

Elevated serum tumour markers can be used for disease diagnosis and aid in monitoring the treatment response.

Ultrasound of the testis is 90% to 95% accurate in diagnosis.

Radical orchiectomy to confirm histological diagnosis is the initial treatment in most cases.

Infertility can be a complication of surgery.

Testicular cancer can derive from any cell type found in the testes. More than 95% of testicular cancers arise from germ cells and are further classified as either seminoma or non-seminoma.[1]Smith ZL, Werntz RP, Eggener SE. Testicular cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Med Clin North Am. 2018 Mar;102(2):251-64. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29406056?tool=bestpractice.com ​ Testicular cancer is rare; however, it is the most common solid tumour in young adult men and is highly curable when diagnosed early.[2]Stephenson A, Bass EB, Bixler BR, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of early-stage testicular cancer: AUA guideline amendment 2023. J Urol. 2024 Jan;211(1):20-5. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/JU.0000000000003694 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37707243?tool=bestpractice.com  This topic focuses on testicular germ cell tumours.