By Dr Syed Junaid
Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in young men. It is important for men to regularly examine their testicles for unusual or new lumps or bumps. Testicular cancer presents as a new lump and therefore regular examination is key.
One of the most effective and first-line scan for diagnosing testicular cancer is ultrasound, due to its high level of accuracy and resolution. In some cases, an MRI scan may also be done in addition to the ultrasound where the diagnosis is not certain.
If testicular cancer is suspected, the patient will also have blood tests to look for tumour-producing chemicals that can be elevated in testicular cancers. This also helps in monitoring if the disease has come back following surgery. The patient will also have a CT (CAT) scan of the whole body to check for any other sites of disease or spread, particularly looking at the lymph nodes, as well as the lungs.
The management of testicular cancer is best done with a multidisciplinary team approach with experts from radiology, pathology, urology and oncology who discussed the best mode of treatment for the patient.
If testicular cancer is diagnosed and treated early and the disease has not spread anywhere, the patient can be cured of cancer. It is therefore essential to have any suspicious or unusual lumps in the testicles scanned with ultrasound as soon as possible.
