What happens if you have testicular cancer

The testicles are an important part of the male reproductive system because they produce sperm and the hormone testosterone, which plays a major role in male sexual development. The different types of testicular cancer are classified by the type of cells the cancer begins in. Germ cells are a type of cell that the body uses to create sperm.

You can contact the cancer support specialists at Macmillan for more information about Leydig cell tumour and Sertoli cell tumours. Read more about Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although it's relatively uncommon overall, testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and For reasons that are unclear, white men have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer than men from other ethnic groups.

The number of cases of testicular cancer diagnosed each year in the UK has roughly doubled since the mids. Again, the reasons for this are unclear. The exact cause or causes of testicular cancer are unknown, but a number of factors have been identified that increase a man's risk of developing it. Undescended testicles cryptorchidism is the most significant risk factor for testicular cancer.

They usually descend into the scrotum during the first year of life, but in some boys the testicles do not descend. In most cases, testicles that do not descend by the time a boy is a year old descend at a later stage. If the testicles do not descend naturally, an operation known as an orchidopexy can be carried out to move the testicles into the correct position inside the scrotum.

RPLND may damage nerves, causing semen to travel backwards into the bladder instead of forwards out of the penis. This still feels like an orgasm, but no semen will come out.

Chemotherapy drugs may remain in your system and be present in your semen for a few days. For a few weeks after chemotherapy, you may have some trouble getting and keeping an erection. Radiation therapy to the pelvis may temporarily stop semen production. You will still feel the sensations of an orgasm but will ejaculate little or no semen dry orgasm.

In most cases, semen production will return to normal after a few months. Most people who have had one testicle removed can go on to have children naturally. If you have had both testicles removed rarely required , you will no longer produce sperm and will be infertile. People who experience retrograde ejaculation after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection will also be infertile.

Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy can temporarily decrease sperm production and cause unhealthy sperm. It may take one or more years before there are enough healthy sperm to conceive a child. In some cases, infertility may be permanent. Any type of cancer treatment can change the way you feel about yourself.

You may feel less confident about who you are and what you can do, particularly if your body has changed physically. Some people find that their sense of identity or masculinity is affected by their cancer experience. Give yourself time to get used to any changes to your body. Try to see yourself as a whole person body, mind and personality instead of focusing on the parts of you that have changed.

Try talking to other men who have had a similar experience and let your partner, if you have one, know how you are feeling. You may also find it helpful to talk to a psychologist if you are having trouble adjusting to any changes.

If you continue to be concerned about your appearance, you may wish to speak to your medical team about getting an artificial testicle prosthesis. Advanced cancer usually means cancer that is unlikely to be cured. During this time palliative care services can help. However, it is rare that testicular cancer is so advanced that treatment cannot make it go away.

Most people continue to have treatment for advanced cancer as part of palliative care, as it helps manage the cancer and improve their day-to-day lives. Many people think that palliative care is for people who are dying but palliative care is for any stage of advanced cancer. There are doctors, nurses and other people who specialise in palliative care.

Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or another type of treatment. It can help in these ways:.

Caring for someone with cancer can be difficult sometimes. If you are caring for someone with testicular cancer, these organisations can help:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Did you know that deaths from injury are 2. That men are more likely to die from preventable diseases?

The effects of androgen deficiency depend on how severe the deficiency is, its cause and the age at which the deficiency begins. IVF in-vitro-fertilization and ICSI intracytoplasmic sperm injection are assisted reproductive treatment ART procedures in which fertilisation of an egg occurs outside the body. Before a biopsy, you need to discuss a range of issues with your doctor or surgeon. Bladder cancer affects twice as many men as women. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only.

Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. Usually, an enlarged testicle or a small lump or area of hardness are the first signs of testicular cancer.

Any lump, enlargement, hardness, pain, or tenderness should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. Other symptoms of testicular cancer usually do not appear until after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

A painless lump or swelling on either testicle. If found early, a testicular tumor may be about the size of a pea or a marble, but it can grow much larger. Change in the way a testicle feels or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. For example, 1 testicle may become firmer than the other testicle. Or testicular cancer may cause the testicle to grow bigger or to become smaller. Breast tenderness or growth.

Although rare, some testicular tumors make hormones that cause breast tenderness or growth of breast tissue, a condition called gynecomastia. Lower back pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, and bloody sputum or phlegm can be symptoms of later-stage testicular cancer. Swelling of 1 or both legs or shortness of breath from a blood clot can be symptoms of testicular cancer. A blood clot in a large vein is called deep venous thrombosis or DVT. A blood clot in an artery in the lung is called a pulmonary embolism and causes shortness of breath.

For some young or middle-aged people, developing a blood clot may be the first sign of testicular cancer. Many symptoms and signs of testicular cancer are similar to those caused by noncancerous conditions. These are discussed below:. A cyst called a spermatocele that develops in the epididymis. The epididymis is a small organ attached to the testicle that is made up of coiled tubes that carry sperm away from the testicle.

Infection of the testicle is called orchitis.