Testicular Cancer

Testicular Cancer
Anatomy and Physiology

• Seminiferous tubules are coiled tubes that make up most of each testis. The cells and tissues in the
tubules are responsible for spermatogenesis, which is the process of creating sperm.
• Rete testis - After sperm is created in the seminiferous tubules, sperm cells travel toward the epididymis
through the rete testis. The rete testis helps to mix sperm cells around in the fluid secreted by Sertoli
cells. The body reabsorbs this fluid as sperm cells travel from the seminiferous tubules to the epididymis.
• The efferent ducts are a series of tubes that join the rete testis to the epididymis. The epididymis stores
sperm cells until they’re mature and ready for ejaculation. The efferent ducts also absorb most of the
fluid that helps to move sperm cells. This results in a higher concentration of sperm in ejaculate fluid.
• Tunica vasculosa is the first thin layer of blood vessels. This layer shields the tubular interior of each
testicle from further layers of tissue around the outer testicle.
The outermost layers of tissue are called the tunica vaginalis. The tunica vaginalis
consists of three layers:
 Visceral layer. This layer surrounds the tunica albuginea that shields the seminiferous tubules.
 Cavum vaginale. This layer is an empty space between the visceral layer and the outermost layer
of the tunica vaginalis.
 Parietal layer. This layer is the outermost protective layer that surrounds almost the entire
testicular structure.
What is Testicular Cancer?
Testicular cancer forms when malignant (cancer) cells develop in the

tissues of one or (less commonly) both testicles. Your testicles are two
walnut-shaped sex glands that produce sperm and the hormone
testosterone. They sit inside a sac of skin that lies below your penis called
the scrotum.
Classification of Testicular Cancer
• Germinal Tumor a germ cell can cause it to grow out of control, which
leads to a tumor.
Nonseminomas
• Does not respond to radiation therapy.
• more common type of testicular cancer tends to grow more quickly than
seminomas.
Types of Nonseminomas
• Choriocarcinomas This is a very rare and fast-growing type of testicular
cancer in adults. Pure choriocarcinoma is likely to spread rapidly to other
parts of the body, including the lungs, bones, and brain. More often,
choriocarcinoma cells are seen with other types of non-seminoma cells in
a mixed germ cell tumor.
• Embryonal carcinomas
-most often develops in young and middle-aged men. It tends to grow
rapidly and spread outside the testicle.
• Teratomas
-is a neoplasm derived from germ cells of the testicle. It can display diverse
biological behavior with an aggressive nature at times, and therefore it must be
promptly diagnosed and treated.
• Yolk Sac Tumor

-is a rare, malignant tumor of cells that line the yolk sac of the embryo and It is
most often found in children before the ages of 1 to 2, but can occur throughout life.
Seminomas
• This is a slow-growing form of testicular cancer found in men in their 40s
and 50s. The cancer is in the testes, but it can spread to the lymph nodes.
• respond well on radiation therapy
• Nongerminal Tumors
- These cancers may develop in the supportive and hormone producing tissues
or stroma of the testicles and it spreads beyond the testicle, a small number
metastasize and tend to be resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Leydig Cell Tumor
-These tumors can be pure or can be mixed with other sex cord-stromal or germ
cell tumors. Leydig cell tumors are usually benign, but appproximately 10% are
malignant.
• Sertoli Cell Tumor
-They are subclassified as classic, large-cell calcifying, and sclerosing
Sertoli cell tumors (SSCT) based on distinct clinical features. Only 42 cases
of SSCTs have been reported in the literature.
• Secondary Testicular Tumor
• A tumor that have metastasized to the testicle from other organs.
• Lymphoma is the most common cause of secondary testicular and
treatment depends on the specific type of cancer.
Cryptorchordism Family History Race HIV
Normal Inner Cell

Mass
Swelling Primordial Germ Cell Radical Inguinal

Mass Orchiectomy
Tenderness Chemotherapy
Gonocytes Radiotherapy
Enlargement of
Lymph nodes Spermatogonia
(abdomen, neck,
upper chest, armpit)
Testicular Cancer
Bleomycin Sulfate
Cisplatin
Cosmegen
Ifosfamide
Etoposide phosphate
Vinblastine Sulfate
Nursing interventions
 Asses patient physical and psychological status

 Monitor patients response to and possible effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
 Encourage to maintain a positive attitude.
 Educate cancer survivors about the importance of adhering to follow up appointments for early
detection of cancer recurrence
 Remind the patient about the importance of performing TSE in the treated or remaining testis
 Encourage patient to participate in healthy behaviors including smoking cessation, healthy diet,
minimization of alcohol intake and cancer screening activities.
Prevention
 Testicular self examination.
 Ask your health care professional to examine your testicles as part of your routine physical exam.
 If you have a son who was born with an undescended testicle, talk with his health care professional about correcting
it before he reaches puberty.
 Reducing exposure to chemical toxins.
 High-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation. Higher doses of chemotherapy can put recurrent
testicular cancer into remission. A stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant) is a medical procedure in which
diseased bone marrow is replaced by highly specialized cells, called hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem
cells are blood-forming cells found both in the bloodstream and in the bone marrow. For testicular cancer, the
patient’s own stem cells are removed from the body before high-dose chemotherapy is given. After chemotherapy,
blood stem cells are put back into the patient’s vein to replace the bone marrow and restore normal blood cell levels.
• Robotic-assisted surgery to remove lymph nodes after chemotherapy. It appears to be a safe option instead of
standard "open" surgery, but more research is needed to show this and to see if there are other benefits.
• Genetic studies. Researchers are analyzing the DNA from tumor samples of testicular cancer to find out if any
specific genes are associated with testicular cancer. In addition, there are studies underway to look at possible
inherited genetic factors leading to cryptorchidism and higher risk of testicular cancer.
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/testicular-cancer/latest-research
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/testicular-cancer/about/new-research.html

Testicular Cancer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Testicular Cancer

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Testicular Cancer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Testicular Cancer

Anatomy and Physiology

Testicular cancer forms when malignant (cancer) cells develop in the

• Yolk Sac Tumor

Normal Inner Cell

Swelling Primordial Germ Cell Radical Inguinal

 Asses patient physical and psychological status

You might also like