Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Testis Cancer




Testis cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men. Most cases represent sporadic occurrences. Most commonly it presents at an early stage (clinical stage I) and is highly curable with radical orchiectomy. Even more advanced stages of testicular cancer are curable with a multimodality treatment approach. There are no widely accepted screening strategies for germ cell tumors. This article discusses the known risk factors and epidemiology of testis cancer, the presentation, and work up for new patients, and the prognosis and cure rates based on the staging and current treatment modalities for testis cancer patients.




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    There are no widely accepted screening strategies for germ cell tumors, but disease awareness and early detection via self-examination may improve outcomes for those diagnosed.




  • •

    There are no widely accepted screening strategies for germ cell tumors, but disease awareness and early detection via self-examination may improve outcomes for those diagnosed.




    • The 5-year survival rate for all stages of testis cancer is 96.6%, meaning the vast majority of patients diagnosed with testis cancer can be cured of disease. Testis cancer is one of the few malignancies that can commonly be cured even after it has metastasized. The 5-year survival for localized, regional, or distant disease is 99.2%, 96.0%, and 73.1%, respectively, highlighting the curability of even advanced germ cell tumors. In contrast, patients diagnosed with lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, or esophageal cancer only have a 5-year survival rate of 16.8%, 6.7%, and 17.5%, respectively.








    There is some debate among professionals regarding the significance of microlithiasis and whether it warrants special consideration for a testicular screening program. There are no current guidelines in the United States regarding screening in the setting of microlithiasis. However, the European Society of Urogenital Radiology has proposed guidelines to perform repeat screening ultrasound in patients with microlithiasis who also have risk factors, notably either personal or family history of testis tumor or history of maldescent, orchidopexy, or testicular atrophy.






    The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for testicular cancer, which is the most commonly used staging system, can be found in the AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook, 7th edition.






    When comparing localized, regional, or distant disease, the 5-year overall survival rates are 99.2%, 96.0%, and 73.1%, respectively.


    References



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    Mar 3, 2017 | Posted by in UROLOGY | Comments Off on Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Testis Cancer

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