- anaesthetic awareness
- birth injury
- brain haemorrhage
- cancer misdiagnosis
- cauda equina syndrome
- cerebral palsy
- cosmetic surgery
- dental negligence
- gynaecology errors
- laparoscopy surgery
- medical negligence solicitors
- neonatal conditions
- obstetric cholestasis
- surgery negligence
- gastric band surgery
- prescription errors
Testicular Cancer
Thousands of clinical compensation claims are initiated every year in the United Kingdom by medical negligence solicitors on behalf of people from all walks of life. A multitude of operations and procedures are executed successfully however a small percentage do go wrong, laying the grounds for medical negligence solicitors to take legal action in order to claim compensation. Both legal aid and the no win no fee scheme are available to pursue medical negligence compensation claims.
Please contact us for help pursuing your claim.
Testicular cancer is a type of cancer occurring in the testes of the male. The testes are the reproductive organs in males and are housed within the scrotum. Normally, the testes make male sex hormones and sperm for reproduction. Testicular cancer is the most likely cancer to occur in males between 15 and 34 years. Fortunately, testicular cancer is treatable, even if metastatic. Even so, it is a good idea to find and treat the cancer as early as possible.
If you have testicular cancer, the signs and symptoms include having a lump in the testicle and a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. The abdomen or groin may ache or hurt. You can get fluid buildup in the scrotum and the breasts may enlarge or become painful from hormone production in the testes. There can be generalized malaise. Only one testis is affected at a time.
Testicular cancer occurs in the germ cells, which are the cells that go on to make mature sperm. What causes testicular cancer to grow out of germ cells is not known. Risk factors for testicular cancer include having an undescended testicle, a condition known as cryptorchidism. If the testicle develops abnormally, such as in Klinefelter's syndrome, there is an increased risk of testicular cancer. The risk is increased if there is a family history of testicular cancer and if you are a man between the ages of 15 and 34. Men who are white get testicular cancer more so than black men.
The diagnosis of testicular cancer can happen when a man notices a small lump in his testicle. Doctors can follow up a physical examination with an ultrasound of the testicle, which will show the lump. The test can show if the lump is fluid filled or if it is solid. Blood tests will help detect tumor markers for testicular cancer. A high level of tumor marker might indicate the presence of testicular cancer.
There are two major types of testicular cancer. These include a seminoma, which is more common in older individuals. Seminomas are very sensitive to radiation and are therefore less dangerous than non-seminoma tumors. Non-seminoma tumors usually develop in young men. They grow quickly and come in several types. These types of tumors are less sensitive then seminoma tumors but are very sensitive to chemotherapy.
Testicular cancer needs to be staged in order to define the type of treatment necessary. The doctors use CT scans to see if the tumor has spread past the testicle. Blood tests can show levels of tumor markers-tests that don't always show up positive in every case of testicular cancer. Staging of this type of cancer is as follows: Stage I cancer is located just within the testicle. It is easy to treat with removal of the testicle. Stage II testicular cancer has spread to the lymph nodes near the testicles but not beyond that. In stage III testicular cancer, the cancer has spread to other body areas. The most common areas of spread of testicular cancer include the liver, bones, lungs and brain.
Staging of testicular cancer can determine the types of treatment necessary for this disease. Surgery is done to remove the affected testicle and is done in all cases of testicular cancer. A prosthetic testicle can be inserted to allow the scrotum to look normal but this is not necessary. Surgery may be necessary to remove the lymph nodes in the lower abdomen. Any suspected lymph node is removed as well as the healthy-appearing lymph nodes. This helps to stage the cancer. Surgery might be the only treatment necessary if you have early-stage tumor. If there is more advanced disease, there is the option of radiation to the affected area, especially with non-seminoma tumors. This kills residual cancer cells left in the abdomen or in the testicular area. The treatment may cause fatigue and skin redness but it is a simple treatment to undergo and works well for most types of testicular cancer.
Chemotherapy treatment uses chemotherapy medications to kill the cancer cells in all parts of the body. The chemotherapy differs depending on the type of testicular cancer. Commonly, there are side effects, using fatigue, nausea, infertility and hair loss. There is an increased risk of bacterial infections in those undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer.