Several types of cancer may occur in the testicles. These are the small egg-shaped sex glands in men that produce sperm and hormones, especially testosterone. This site of cancer typically affects young males. When caught early, it is among the most curable forms of cancer.

The exact cause of testicular cancer is not known, and many men get the disease without having any of the associated risk factors. Testicular cancer is diagnosed in approximately 8,090 American men a year, according to the American Cancer Society. It accounts for about 1 percent of cancers in men but is the most common cancer in males from age 15 to 34. It is far more common in white men than in African American men.

Testicular cancer occurs when any of the various cells that make up the testicles become cancerous. Cancer results when the body cannot repair damage to DNA and cells reproduce abnormally and become malignant.

Testicular cancer is diagnosed through biopsy, blood tests and imaging diagnostic methods. The type of cell that becomes cancerous will influence the method of treatment the patient will receive, as well as the prognosis for recovery. In deciding on an appropriate treatment plan, physicians will use a technique known as staging that measures how far the cancer has spread in the body.

Treatment methods include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgical removal of the testicle. Some treatment methods result in infertility to the cancer patient. Men who have been diagnosed with cancer in one testicle are at increased risk of developing cancer in the other testicle. Patients are encouraged to do regular self-exams and to promptly report unusual symptoms to a physician.