Testicular Cancer has a high survival rate in both early and advanced stages, with a bragging right of a 99.5% chance of survival.  The American Cancer Society forecasts 7,920 new diagnosis of testicular cancer in 2007, and only 380 deaths.  The cause of testicular cancer is not known, and there is no way of preventing it, but it is one of the most curable, and is now appearing to be helpful in combating other cancers.  It accounts for only 1% of all male cancers.

Men having undescended testicles are at high risk, however if a boy has his undescended testicle corrected before the age of ten, the risk drops to average levels.  Men with a close relative that has testicular cancer are also in a high-risk group.  Congenital abnormalities such as inguinal hernias and abnormalities in the testicles, kidneys and penis are also considered high risk factors.  Recent studies from the University of North Carolina determined that men who inherit a gene called hiwi are also at high risk.

Testicular cancer appears most often in men between the ages of 20 and 39.  Testicles are examined during routine exams, and most instances of testicular cancers are found by men themselves discovering a pea-sized lump.  Symptoms may include a painless lump or swelling in a testicle, pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum, any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, a dull ache in the lower abdomen, back, or groin, or a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.

Testicular cancer has two main types.  One in which the cancer grows slowly and is sensitive to radiation therapy is called Seminomas.  The other is called Nonseminomas, and has different cell types that grow more quickly than seminomas.  Men who have the hiwi gene have a 50% higher chance at developing seminomas, Testicular cancer is much higher in Caucasians than African-Americans, and Scandinavian countries are seeing an increase in the disease.  It is diagnosed through blood tests, ultrasounds or biopsies.

Surgery to remove the infected testicle is one cure for testicular cancer.  Removing a testicle does not affect sexual intercourse, erection, sperm or fertility.  Men can have an artificial testicle put in the scrotum.  Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are also options.  Cisplastin is a drug used to kills the DNA in the cancer cells and has been successful in testicular cancer treatment.  Treatment has improved over the last 25 years.

Because of the research, discoveries and successes testicular cancer, scientists are hoping to alter cells of other cancers to make them more like testicular cancer cells.  This would increase favorable prognosis in other types of cancers.  It has also been recently discovered that a protein from male testes, used in a vaccine for testicular cancer treatment, might help slow recurrences of ovarian cancer.  Ovarian cancer is deadly and without symptoms.  70% of women diagnosed die within five years.  Could male testes be the solution to curing female ovaries?