Parents Should Be Aware of Testicular Cancer

A recent story of a 9-year-old boy having testicular cancer is a reminder that this disease can occur in children and is something parents should be aware of.

Testicular cancer is relatively uncommon in children, with about 1 to 2 percent of cancers in children are testicular, says Louis Kavoussi, MD, chairman of urology for the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

“The way that these usually present is with a lump or mass in the testicle,” Dr. Kavoussi said. “Occasionally it can cause some heaviness or discomfort and then the child may bring it to the parents’ attention… The diagnosis of testicular cancer can be made upon a physical examination by a doctor and usually followed up by an ultrasound. An ultrasound is a very good test and it doesn’t expose the child to radiation.”

Some causes of testicular cancer in children are:

• Undescended testicles
• A family history of testicular cancer

Dr. Kavoussi notes that mothers who take adequate amounts of prenatal vitamins can help to prevent testicular cancer in their children.

“The cure rates are very, very high even with advanced disease,” Dr. Kavoussi said. “If you can get it and it’s just confined to the testicle and it’s early, sometimes just surgically moving the testicle is all you need to do. Depending on the type of cancer it is, sometimes if it’s more advanced you may need some radiation, you may need chemotherapy or you may need a combination. But the cure rates are over 95 percent, close to 99 percent.”

To see a video about this, click here: http://bit.ly/1w5guKN