Is Testicular Cancer Curable?
Testicular cancer is a rare cancer mostly occurs in young men ages 15 to 34 and usually affects only one of the testes. With early detection, the cure rate approaches 100%, but untreated, the cancer may spread to the lymphatic or other systems.
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Self-Examination
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Men of all ages, and especially those in the relevant age group, should manually feel their testicles once a month after showering for any enlargement of the testes or unfamiliar bumps. Report any abnormalities to your doctor immediately, who will order additional tests, including x-ray, ultrasound, and blood and urine tests.
Surgery
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The primary cure for testicular cancer is surgical removal of the affected testes. This leaves the other testicle to successfully produce sperm and the man is able to function sexually.
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Radiation
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Radiation is a successful treatment for the first two stages of testicular cancer. This may damage sperm production, however, so sperm banking is often recommended before this therapy begins.
Chemotherapy
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Chemotherapy is another successful treatment, though its side effects will affect general well-being and sexual arousal for some time. These side effects do pass, however.
Stem Cell Therapy
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A new therapy involves using chemicals to coax and remove stem cells from the bone marrow. Radical chemotherapy is then used to kill cancer cells in the body, and the stem cells are returned to replenish marrow cells.
Awareness
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Though testicular cancer is very treatable and has one of the highest cure rates, this is only true for those men who catch the cancer early. Cancer awareness, a healthy lifestyle and regular self examination will increase your chances of beating this disease.
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