Info & statistics

The testicles are 2 organs that are contained in a pouch of loose skin below the penis called the scrotum. Testicles are part of the male reproductive system and produce sperm but also male hormones (testosterone). The spermatic cord is a structure that connects the testicles to the rest of the body. It contains veins and arteries (necessary for the testicles to receive oxygen through blood flow), nerves, and the vas deferens (that carry sperm from the testicles to the urethral opening in the prostate where it is expelled during ejaculation).

Content is courtesy of CCS.

Testicular cancer starts in the DNA of the cells of the testicle. DNA contains the instructions providing all information that cells need to grow and divide. If these instructions are changed in any way that is not repaired by the body’s own safety checks, cancer cells may develop. Cancer cells are cells that grow out of control and are not turned off by the usual instructions in the cell. If cancer cells grow and divide many millions of times, a tumor can develop.

The cells of the testicle are often referred to as germ cells. Therefore if a tumor develops in the testicles, they are called germ cell tumors. There are two broad categories of germ cell tumors are: seminomas and non-seminomas. Both can be treated successfully but sometimes the treatments are different.