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Without these two tiny male sex glands, located outside the abdominal cavity in the scrotum, there would be no life. They are a sperm factory. Unfortunately, like other organs, the testicles also get sick. Many of these conditions affect young boys, adolescents and young men. You need to be able to see their first symptoms, because if you do not treat testicular diseases, you can cause infertility, and in the case of cancer, it can be life-threatening.
We can talk about the testicles as a symbol of masculinity. Sometimes they need to be removed because they are attacked by a disease that we are all afraid of, i.e. cancer.
Why are they sick
About 700 cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed in Poland every year. This disease mainly affects young people up to 40 years of age. As with other cancers, it is not entirely clear why testicular cancer affects some men and not others. However, as it turns out, the risk of this cancer increases in the case of:
The non-descent of the testicle into the scrotum – during the boy’s womb, the testes from the abdominal cavity pass (descend) through the inguinal canal to the scrotum. In a newborn baby, both glands should already be in place. But it happens that the testicle stops along the way during the hike. Specialists call this developmental defect cryptorchidism. Often, before the boy is one year old, the testicle will reach the scrotum by itself. If this does not happen, the doctor prescribes the appropriate therapy – hormonal or surgical treatment. The testicle must be brought in before the child is 2 years old. This gives him a chance to have children of his own and prevents the development of testicular cancer (in the case of cryptorchidism, the risk of developing the disease increases almost 20 times).
Previous inguinal hernia surgery – the risk of falling ill increases almost 3 times.
Recurring infections – testicular or epididymitis can occur when bacteria or viruses reach them with blood from another source of inflammation in the body. This other route passes through the vas deferens, most often caused by urinary tract infections. Complication of mumps is a common cause of orchitis in young men. In the case of bacterial or viral infections of the testicles (especially if untreated or poorly treated), the risk of developing cancer increases 5-10 times.
An atypical course of pregnancy – e.g. when there was too much estrogen in the mother’s body during the period of testes differentiation of her son, i.e. around the 7th week of the child’s fetal life. This excess of hormones may be related, for example, to the prior treatment of infertility.
Doctors also point out that testicular cancer is more common in men whose mothers were more than 35 years old when they gave birth to them. Environmental pollution, a sedentary lifestyle, low birth weight or HIV infection may have some impact on the development of the disease.
What should be worrying?
Testicular cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the testicle. As in other neoplastic diseases, the main danger is that these neoplasms can easily spread through blood and lymph vessels to distant organs (e.g. lungs, liver, bones). Since this is a threat to a man’s life, it is very important not to underestimate any changes that occur in the testicles. Every man should regularly check his testicles monthly and see a urologist at least once a year.
You need to see a family doctor or urologist as soon as possible if the man:
– senses any hardness in the testicle (cancer is most often found in one testicle),
– notice enlargement or swelling of the testicle,
– the core will be hard and its surface smooth or suspiciously rough,
– will feel discomfort in the lower abdomen and a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum,
– the testicles will be painful when touched (very often the patient does not feel the testicle pain and disregards other symptoms. This is a mistake!).
Some tumors can intensify male features (increase skin hair, especially on the face, and increase muscle volume), and may also cause feminization (enlargement of the mammary glands, increased pitch of the voice).
An experienced physician has a high degree of probability to recognize the neoplasm on palpation (by touch). The diagnosis is confirmed by the ultrasound result and the level of tumor markers in the blood serum.
How is it treated
Early testicular cancer is almost 100 percent curable today. For this reason, you should not delay starting treatment. The only effective treatment is to remove the testicle and, if necessary, the surrounding lymph nodes by surgery. Then the removed tumor is examined histopathologically under the microscope and possible further treatment is recommended. Sometimes chemotherapy or (less frequently) radiotherapy is needed as an adjuvant treatment.
Removal of one testicle does not significantly affect male fertility. The second testicle can produce enough sperm for fertilization. A man after surgery can also lead a normal sex life. The only effect of the treatment is the visible absence of one testicle. If a man is bothered by this, he can undergo surgery to implant an artificial testicle into the scrotum. Unfortunately, such a procedure is not reimbursed by the National Health Fund. You have to pay about PLN 1000 for a prosthesis from your own pocket.
Life deposit
Men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer are often concerned about their potency and fertility. Chemotherapy can cause erectile dysfunction and infertility – usually temporary, which disappears over time (usually within 2 years after stopping treatment). Radiotherapy has a slightly worse prognosis. It can result in permanent infertility. Each patient must be informed about such a consequence of treatment. Maybe earlier, before the procedure, use the so-called a sperm bank and deposit your reproductive cells for many years.
Testicular self-examination
They should be performed monthly. It is enough to spend about 3 minutes.
1. Examine your testicles by showering or taking a warm bath. The skin of the scrotum is then soft and relaxed, so it is easier to feel any abnormalities.
2. Examine each testicle separately. First, roll the testicle gently between your thumb and forefinger, checking for any lumps or lumps under the skin.
3. Pay attention to whether the testicles have not changed their appearance since the previous self-examination, eg if any of them have grown, if the skin is tense or its surface is rough.
4. Now press the testicle gently with your fingers – healthy will be soft and smooth to the touch. Hard and rough requires medical consultation.
5. Don’t panic if you feel a small, hard lump on the back wall connected to the testicle – this is the epididymis and the vas deferens.
Not always cancer
Not every lump in the testicle indicates cancer. There are many diseases that can cause swelling and inflammation of the testicle, such as hydrocele, a build-up of fluid in the scrotum between the testicle and the scrotum itself. Such boats can reach enormous sizes. They are not dangerous and are easily treated with surgery without the harmful consequences of the procedure. Whenever a lump or testicle enlargement is detected, a doctor should be consulted quickly, who will establish the diagnosis and indicate the treatment.
This is important!
If you want to save a life:
– see your doctor if you notice any changes in the testicle,
– undergo regular medical check-ups before and after treatment for testicular cancer,
– do not refuse to undergo testicular cancer treatment for fear of infertility.
A historical mission
There are about 200 lobules in the parenchyma of both testicles. Each of them produces sperm that travels to the epididymis, where they mature and prepare to continue their journey through the vas deferens and outward urethra. After the sperm joins a mature egg (usually in the woman’s body, in the fallopian tubes), a zygote is formed – the beginning of a new life. A man who has no testicles is infertile.
Where the sperm is formed
The most important part of the male reproductive system is the member (penis) which ends with a rounded head (glans). The urethra passes through the penis, through which urine is drained outside the body, and sperm – fluid containing sperm, i.e. male reproductive cells. The average portion of semen during ejaculation contains 250-300 million sperm.
Genetic information is contained in the sperm head; Its twist is only used for the movement of this reproductive cell – it can travel more than 7 cm in an hour.
Sperm develops and is stored in the testicles. An adult man can produce over 100 million sperm every day, and the best condition for this is the temperature 3-5 degrees C lower than body temperature. This is why the testicles hang in the scrotum, outside the body. When it is hot, the muscles of the scrotum relax, allowing the testes to hang freely in the relative coolness away from the body. When it is cold, these muscles contract, drawing the testicles close to your body.
Text: Anna Jarosz
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