Is testicular cancer an unspeakable disease? What tests are needed if testicular cancer is suspected?

Testicular cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the testicles and is common in young men, especially those aged 18 to 25. Family inheritance, male infertility, too much estrogen taken by the mother during pregnancy, testicular damage, exposure to high pollution environments, etc. are all high risk factors for testicular cancer.

What tests are needed if testicular cancer is suspected?

1. General physical examination

Ordinary physical examinations are generally divided into four types. One is palpation of the scrotal contents. The professional doctor will palpate the scrotal contents with both hands. When testicular cancer occurs, the affected testicle enlarges or a mass is palpated. The mass is hard. The boundary between the testicles and the testicles is unclear, and there is an obvious feeling of heaviness when held up by the hand. The light transmission test is negative; one is an abdominal examination to see if there is lymph node metastasis or visceral metastasis; the other is a chest examination to determine whether there is lymph node metastasis or visceral metastasis. Whether the male breasts appear feminized and whether there are signs related to lung metastasis; one is lymph node examination. Lymph node metastases will appear after testicular cancer reaches an advanced stage.

2. Laboratory examination

In addition to lactate dehydrogenase, widely used tumor markers for testicular cancer include human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein. Alpha-fetoprotein was elevated in patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors; serum tumor markers were elevated in patients with seminomas; and human chorionic gonadotropin was significantly elevated in all patients with choriocarcinoma.

3. Imaging examination

When testicular tumors are suspected, ultrasound examination is preferred, as it can promptly understand the condition of the testicles and determine whether there are metastatic tumors in the retroperitoneum and whether there are lymph node metastases around the renal hilum. CT or MRI can help diagnose testicular tumors, determine whether retroperitoneal lymph nodes have metastasized, and assess the extent of metastasis. Chest X-ray or CT examination is used to determine whether there are metastatic lesions in the lungs and mediastinum.