the symptoms that men under 40 should not underestimate- breaking latest news

the most frequent form of cancer in men under 40 years of age: in Italy there are aboutto 2 thousand new cases every year. Fortunately, however, it has a very low mortality more than 9 out of 10 patients manage to recover permanently. Thus, today, over 63 thousand compatriots live after having received the diagnosis of germline cancer of the testis, highly treatable disease, but that should not be underestimated. a neoplasm in which the results in terms of healing are excellent – he emphasizes Ugo De Giorgi, director of Clinical and Experimental Oncology at IRCCS Romagnolo Institute for the Study of Tumors (IRST) “Dino Amadori” -. However, the diagnosis of the tumor has not negligible consequences on the patient’s life. The testicle is an organ strongly associated with masculinity, the sexual sphere and obviously also fertility. Today Fertility can also be preserved for those who have undergone the removal of the organ and then received chemo or radiotherapy.

Symptoms

Symptoms to be aware of and not to be underestimated include: swelling of the testicle, loss of volume, feeling of heaviness
or sudden formation of fluid in the scrotum, dull pain in the lower abdomen or groin
pain or discomfort in the testicle, blood in the urine. The disease mainly affects men under 40 and a cured patient has the right to return to a normal life – adds De Giorgi, secretary of the Italian Germ cell cancer Group (IGG), in which the national congress just ended in Milan -. Testicular self-examination is important for early diagnosis and should be done starting from puberty. Since most of the young patients it is essential that children receive, before starting the treatment process, all the information necessary to be able to become fathers in the future. It is necessary to place the patient in an adequate path of assistance and establish which examinations to carry out, with what timing, whether or not to foresee the involvement of the andrologist or other specialists. Including a psychologist, who can give invaluable support to help better manage the psychological impact of the disease.

The controls

In males with a history of cryptorchidism (failure of the testicle to descend into the scrotal sac), a minor abnormality affecting many children, testicular atrophy, previous testicular or family cancer first degree affected by the disease, in addition to self-examination an annual specialist urological visit is also indicated. In boys, every hard, indolent and progressive growth 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 ball that is a little more violent than usual – he explains. Nicola Nicolai, Head of Urology and Testicular Surgery at the National Cancer Institute (INT) in Milan and president of IGG -. Lself-examination, as is the case with breast cancer in women, which is essential for obtaining an early diagnosis. Precisely because it is a rare tumor, the mere fact of talking about it and, from time to time, remembering that it exists can be an aid to treatment. Sensitizing parents, young people and family doctors to this eventuality, in fact, allows to reduce the number of patients with late diagnosis and to achieve the goal of recovery using less invasive treatments, with fewer side effects – continues Nicolai -. For this reason, the contribution of the association of patients with testicular cancer AITT is also fundamental, very active with various initiatives, at multiple levels, including social media, useful for reaching the youngest.

The therapies

If the disease is detected in the initial phase and limited to the testicle, the surgerywith or without radiotherapy, represents the first choice. In the more advanced formsinstead, you need to use the chemotherapy. The latest news in medical-scientific research was also illustrated at the conference in Milan: In testicular cancer, “traditional” treatments, such as surgery or chemo, are effective and guarantee excellent results even in advanced forms of disease – he explains Franco Nol, director of the Urogenital and Cervical Facial Medical Oncology of the European Institute of Oncology (Ieo) and president of the IGG conference -. As many as 93% of patients, in fact, without disease five years after diagnosis and can be considered cured. To further improve this percentage, we are therefore focusing on the in-depth analysis of the genetic-molecular characteristics and the familiarity of cancer. We are conducting studies, also in our country, on the use of new biomarkers for learly detection of disease recurrence. a form of cancer on which we still need to work – he concludes Paolo Andrea Zucali, in charge of the oncology of the genitourinary tract of the Humanitas Cancer Center in Rozzano and president of the Milanese congress -. In our country we are able to guarantee patients excellent assistance, Italian patients have among the highest chances of treatment in Europe. Some of our centers are also of reference at an international level because they have the highest volumes of activity at European level. This applies to the provision of complex treatments such as retroperitoneal surgery or high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation.