Can you get testicular cancer at 12

Testicular tumors in children are rare, most likely treatable and most often curable. The testicles also known as testes or testis are part of the male reproductive system.

These 2 golf ball size glands are held in a sac scrotum below the penis. But up to 3 of every full-term male children may be born with an undescended testicle cryptorchidism. In these children 1 or both testicles have not dropped down into the scrotum from the abdomen.

The testicles make male hormones such as testosterone. This hormone controls the sex drive in men. It also triggers the development of male traits. The testicles are where sperm male reproductive cells mature before being delivered to the vas deferens and ejaculated. The firmness of the testicle should be the same throughout.

The size of the testicles should also be about the same. See More See Less. Testicular tumors rarely happen in boys before puberty. The odds of a boy having a testicular tumor are about 1 in , On the other hand, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men 15 to 34 years old.

It is key to see a urologist right away, especially if these signs last for more than 2 weeks. The urologist must rule out other issues such as. Few causes have been found for testicular cancer that develops before puberty. Still, there are some risk factors. These complex cases with ambiguous uncertain genitalia and other abnormalities may have an atypical testicle that puts them at risk for tumors known as gonadoblastomas and dysgerminomas.

An undescended testicle is mainly found and treated in boyhood. So, these boys should do a testicular self-exam monthly. Young men 15 to 34 years old are at risk for testicular cancer. This cancer is also more common in white than in black males. During a careful exam a doctor may find a firm lump in the testicles. An ultrasound a noninvasive radiological test of the scrotum can show tumors in the testicles and in nearby structures. Still, if there is suspicion of an abnormality, even a normal exam or ultrasound does not rule out a tumor.

Blood tests to find tumor markers proteins produced by most testicular cancers are often done when a testicular tumor is suspected. Elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein AFP and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin less often raise the clinical suspicion of specific malignant testicular tumors.

The urologist may use levels of these tumor markers before surgery as a baseline. The only way to know if the swelling is cancer is for a surgeon to look at the testicle during surgery. Sometimes a small piece of tissue is removed and looked at under a microscope by a pathologist a doctor who interprets the changes caused by disease in tissues and body fluid. This is known as a frozen section biopsy. If the biopsy shows that the lump is a cancer, then the testicle will be removed.

This operation is known as orchiectomy. Further testing with a CT scan or MRI magnetic resonance imaging is not advised until after surgery, when the diagnosis of the tumor is complete.

The most common testicular tumors in prepubescent males are yolk sac tumors and teratomas. These tumors look like the yolk sac of an early human embryo. In young children they are often treated with success. When these tumors grow in adults, they are more dangerous. Under the microscope these germ cell tumors look like each of the 3 layers of a growing embryo. In most cases, testicles that do not descend by the time a boy is a year old descend at a later stage.

If the testicles do not descend naturally, an operation known as an orchidopexy can be carried out to move the testicles into the correct position inside the scrotum. It's important that undescended testicles move down into the scrotum during early childhood because boys with undescended testicles have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer than boys whose testicles descend normally.

Men with undescended testicles are about 3 times more likely to develop testicular cancer than men whose testicles descend at birth or shortly after. Having a close relative with a history of testicular cancer or an undescended testicle increases your risk of also developing it.

For example, if your father had testicular cancer, you're around 4 times more likely to develop it than someone with no family history of the condition. Current research suggests a number of genes may be involved in the development of testicular cancer in families where more than 1 person has had the condition.

This is an ongoing area of research in which patients and their families may be asked to take part. Men who have previously been diagnosed with testicular cancer are between 12 and 18 times more likely to develop it in the other testicle.

For this reason, if you have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, it's very important that you keep a close eye on the other testicle. Find out what testicles should look and feel like. If you have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, you also need to be observed for signs of recurrence for between 5 and 10 years, so it's very important that you attend your follow-up appointments.

Cancer Research UK has more information about testicular cancer risks and causes. Testicular cancer is 1 of the most treatable types of cancer, and the outlook is 1 of the best for cancers. Although the average age at the time of diagnosis is 33, testicular cancer can affect teens starting at 15 years old. Talking with your teenage sons about how to detect testicular cancer can ensure early detection, but what should you say? Make sure they know that this disease is curable and how to do a self-check on a monthly basis.

The shower is a great place to do a self-check, since the skin around the testicles is relaxed, allowing them to drop.