by Vera Martinella
it is more frequent before the age of 40, fortunately, however, it has a very low mortality and more than 9 out of 10 patients manage to recover permanently. And to get back on the field. Warning signs not to be ignored
The latest announcement dates back to a few days ago: Achille Polonara, a 31-year-old basketball player at Virtus Segafredo Bologna, must stop to undergo surgery for testicular cancer. The list of young athletes who have had to face the same disease, however, is quite long.
How come? Because it is a neoplasm that mainly affects men under 40 years of age, there are hardly any cases in older people – replies Sergio Bracarda, national president of the Italian Society of Uro-Oncology (SIUrO) -. The good news is that testicular cancer is currently one of the most treatable types of cancer and five-year survival stands at 94%. If it is discovered in the early stages the percentage rises up to 100% while in the more advanced forms the results in terms of recovery are 75-98%. This is also demonstrated by the stories of the numerous athletes who have spoken about the disease.
Cyclists and footballers returned to the field after treatment
Starting with Lance Armstrong, who discovered he had testicular cancer in 1996, when he was 25 years old. After two years of illness and intense treatment (for metastases to the brain and lungs), in ’98 the Texan cyclist was told by doctors that he had defeated the tumor. His body and strength are once again at his disposal: he immediately returns to the track and from 1999 to 2005 he achieves an epochal feat, winning seven consecutive Tours de France. In 2013 Francesco Acerbi, a footballer for Chievo and Milan, realized almost by chance that something was wrong: he was 24 years old and was undergoing emergency surgery. A few months later he returns to the field, but subsequent checks reveal a recurrence: another cycle of treatment and, finally, the definitive recovery arrives. then the turn of another cyclist, Ivan Basso, who, 27 years old, announced in July 2015 that he had to leave the Tour de France for treatment. Also a testicular tumor stopped the 28-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller in 2022, who finished treatment and already returned to the pitch in the Bundesliga at the beginning of 2023.
Looking at the sports news, it seems that the treatments leave very few consequences and allow them to recover quickly even at a competitive level… True, but not always – clarifies Nicola Nicolai, head of Urology and Testicular Surgery at the National Institute Tumors (INT) of Milan —. Therapies can also have long-term effects which, in some cases, can also be important. However, those who recover from cancer (the majority of patients) return to their social, working and emotional lives with stronger motivations and can lead a life substantially the same as those who have not had the disease.
Testicular cancer treatments
The confirmation comes from a study just published in the prestigious scientific journal Annals of Oncology which analyzed the data of almost 500 patients treated between 1980 and 1994: 30 years later, the quality of life of many healed is practically the same as that of those with cancer. he never had it. For testicular cancer, traditional treatments (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) are effective and guarantee excellent results even in advanced forms of disease. If the disease is identified in the initial phase and is limited to the testicle, surgery alone may be sufficient in the majority of patients – explains Nicolai -. In more advanced forms, however, it is necessary to use chemotherapy and more complex surgery. To further improve an already high percentage of recoveries (around 94%) there are ongoing studies, in particular on the use of new biomarkers for the early identification of disease recurrence.
Fertility can be preserved
The testicle is an organ strongly associated with masculinity, the sexual sphere and obviously also with fertility. But the possibility of having children can and must be safeguarded, even for those who have had their organ removed and then received chemotherapy or radiotherapy – underlines Nicolai -. Given that the majority of patients are young, it is essential that the boys receive, before starting the treatment process, all the information necessary to be able to have a normal life, from a hormonal point of view, and become fathers. It is necessary to include the patient in an adequate care path and establish which tests to carry out, with what timing, whether or not to involve the andrologist or other specialists. This includes a psychologist, who can provide invaluable support to help better manage the impact of the disease.
Symptoms of testicular cancer
Despite being a relatively rare type of cancer, in Italy there are around 2 thousand new cases of testicular cancer every year, which is however the most frequent neoplasm in men under 40. So today, over 63 thousand compatriots live after having received the diagnosis.
What are the signs not to be overlooked? The symptoms, of which to be aware and not to be underestimated, include – replies Giario Conti, national secretary of SIUrO -: swelling of the testicle (typically in the form of a hard swelling), feeling of heaviness, dull pain in the lower part of the abdomen or in the groin, pain or discomfort in the testicle. In males with a history of a testicle with delayed descent, a non-serious anomaly which affects many children, testicular atrophy, previous testicular cancer or first-degree family members affected by the disease, self-examination is indicated periodically, while an annual specialist urological visit is advisable for those has an undescended testicle or has true cryptorchidism (failure of the testicle to descend into the scrotal sac).
In boys, every hard, indolent and progressively growing swelling of the testicle must suggest the presence of a tumor and not, as often happens, the after-effects of an inflammation, perhaps linked to a slightly more violent blow than usual – concludes Conti —. Self-examination, as happens with breast cancer in women, is essential for reaching an early diagnosis, which allows the healing objective to be achieved using less invasive treatments, with fewer side effects.
October 11, 2023 (modified October 11, 2023 | 08:25)
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