diognosed with testicular cancer

[swan]

Hi guys,
I posted a and few weeks ago under the post ''WHAT DO YOU THINK'' in a nut shell it said i had low FSH ,LH ,Igf-1 and testo.and were and still are using a 7 % compounded cream but still didn't feel right.
So i had swales follow up labs done and the doc phoned to say testo. was still low, and to come in and he would go through the results and wanted to try me on sus.250 . While on the phone i mentioned i had a small growth on my right teste, which he thought would be a cyst ( he was right )but to get an ultrasound to be sure . I arrived at his office on fri. and he said forget about your lab results you have testicular cancer!!!!
So i will be having CT scans etc. and seeing a uroligist to discuss surgery and any other treatment chemo etc.
So i guess my question is , could this diognosis (cancer) have caused the low levels and feeling like shit ( low testo. symptoms)? and will i still be a candidate for TRT all being well after the treatment.(i am in oz so its a battle anyway )
cheers swan

[ASaxon]

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis!!! I have no personal experience with this but I think you’ll need many more tests to determine the extent of the cancer and what they will have to do to treat it. I have no doubt that testicular cancer can hurt your production of testosterone as the cancer damages the testicular cells and causes them to not unction correctly and thereby cause testosterone production to drop.

From what I understand they’ll want to remove the cancer and all surrounding tissue so that probably means removal of at least one testicle depending on the extent of the cancer. As to whether you can eventually get back on TRT it will depend on how confident they are that they got all the cancer. Lance Armstrong had metastasized testicular cancer and after being treated successfully was able to go on TRT. It all depends on your situation.

Luckily, from what I’ve read, testicular cancer when caught early has a very high cure rate.

[Axl]

There is a good website in the UK. The webmaster, Nick, has experienced testicular cancer and really helps everybody with advice on this matter.
http://www.androids.org.uk/

Check out this link.

Good luck to you!

[BigRagu]

i had testicular cancer so let me take a shot at this one.... the ultrasound with detect a growth on the testicle BUT IT DOSN'T MEAN IT'S CANCER..i think your doctor is jumping the gun without doing any tests.. when they remove your testicle they will send it to the lab to be tested... then after they find out just what is growing they will give u your options.... it could be nothing growing and there are a few types of cancer some slower spreading then others ... some very aggressive.... i think your doctor is jumping the gun already setting u up for chemo and rad b4 they even know what is growing............

i believe that low test could lead to cancer... i had low test and didn't know about it till after all of this happened.. i never figured to get my hormone lvls checked.... i felt like total crap and didn't know why

he is prob going to get a blood test for markers to see if the cancer is in your blood stream... the cat scan is prob goign to be on the pelvis and abs prob take an xray of yoru lungs.... this is all to see if it has spread anywhere

and YES u can continue to take your hrt even though u have this but it's a good idea to stay away from high doses of hgh for atleast 5 years... hgh will also make the cancer grow........... don't let the doctors try and pull the old ... the other testicle will make up for it... get labs done ot make sure because mine couldn't keep up.....

and dam why are they taking their dam time taking it out ... they found out i had a growth around 5 pm and i was in the operation room the next morning....tell them to get on the ball the longer it's in there the more time it was to spread a day can make a difference...........


hope everything turns out well... if u have cancer i feel for u and hope u caught it early enough.......

[BigRagu]

Originally Posted by Axl

There is a good website in the UK. The webmaster, Nick, has experienced testicular cancer and really helps everybody with advice on this matter.
http://www.androids.org.uk/

Check out this link.

Good luck to you!

nice site believe it or not that is the first site i came across when first started to do research on my hormone lvls...nick is a good guy and will answer any questions u have if u email him ...... his site linked me to u guys somehow

[Albert]

I have a posted a sticky on Testicular Cancer. The mains reference is TCRC

There is also an excellent forum called TC-Net once you join you have the best, most knowledgeable group of people on Testicular Cancer anywhere.

Nick is also the associate editor on TCRC and a Moderator on the TC-Net list.

Please take the time to educate your self.

I was told in 1987 I had Testicular Cancer and I would not be leaving hospital because it was so advanced, but 19 years later here I am.

Testicular Cancer is the most curable Cancer and has a cure rate, if treated correctly of about 95%.

If you have any questions please ask, on or offline.

Please keep us informed.

Kind Regards,
Albert.

[swan]

thanks for your kind words and support. I had already checked out TCRC from the sticky , good info , and will check out the others soon.

I have just got copys of the reports from the doc, i wont write the whole reports just the important stuff.
EXAMINATION TESTICULAR SONOGRAM The right testi contains a solid mass measuring 2.2x2.0x1.9 and almost certainly representing a primary testicular tumour....... urological referral and formal staging are recommended.
IMPRESSION 2.2cm hetrogeneous right testicular tumour.

EXAMINATION . CHEST X RAY AND CT THORAX, ABDOMEN AND PELVIS.
CLINICAL DETAILS ,recentely discovered testicular mass,
there is aheap of stuff written here so i will go straight to the summary,
SUMMARY, this is an essentially normal study with no sign of any pulmonary ,visceral nor lymphatic involvement by the recently discovered testicular mass.

I think this is good (trying to be positive)

My doc says this is very encouraging , as good as he could hope !! he has done blood markers and yes they are raised , but he did not say how high.And yes the teste will be removed and tested.
I will be seeing the uroligist fri. but you are right BigRagu i want it done yesterday.

Thanks again
swan

[cpeil2]

Originally Posted by swan

thanks for your kind words and support. I had already checked out TCRC from the sticky , good info , and will check out the others soon.

I have just got copys of the reports from the doc, i wont write the whole reports just the important stuff.
EXAMINATION TESTICULAR SONOGRAM The right testi contains a solid mass measuring 2.2x2.0x1.9 and almost certainly representing a primary testicular tumour....... urological referral and formal staging are recommended.
IMPRESSION 2.2cm hetrogeneous right testicular tumour.

EXAMINATION . CHEST X RAY AND CT THORAX, ABDOMEN AND PELVIS.
CLINICAL DETAILS ,recentely discovered testicular mass,
there is aheap of stuff written here so i will go straight to the summary,
SUMMARY, this is an essentially normal study with no sign of any pulmonary ,visceral nor lymphatic involvement by the recently discovered testicular mass.

I think this is good (trying to be positive)

My doc says this is very encouraging , as good as he could hope !! he has done blood markers and yes they are raised , but he did not say how high.And yes the teste will be removed and tested.
I will be seeing the uroligist fri. but you are right BigRagu i want it done yesterday.

Thanks again
swan

I hope all goes well.

[wildfox]

I'm very sorry about your being diagnosed with testicular cancer!! Seems scary, but hopefully it is correctly diagnosed and will be caught in time before any metastasis.

Will you be getting an implant? I should think this would definitely make you a candidate for TRT.

Alex

[Albert]

Have you have your bloods taken yet.

alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) arethe main ones, please join TC-Net and post all your results there.

There are two guy on that forum who are second to none for TC. Doug Bank in the co-founder of the list and is in contact with the top doctors in America and Mark Kantrowitz is the best when it comes to information, the guy is remarkable.

I hope to see your there soon.
Later,
Albert.

[BigRagu]

Originally Posted by Albert

Have you have your bloods taken yet.

alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) arethe main ones, please join TC-Net and post all your results there.

There are two guy on that forum who are second to none for TC. Doug Bank in the co-founder of the list and is in contact with the top doctors in America and Mark Kantrowitz is the best when it comes to information, the guy is remarkable.

I hope to see your there soon.
Later,
Albert.

those block tests test for certain protiens in the blood... usually u call them testing for markers....... he had them done and something was raised..... don't worry u will get out of this just fine

i can say this though so u can expect it... the operation for the removal of the testicle is an easy one but it's an incision like a hernia.... it's a pain to walk around ... i was walking like a hunchback 4 alittle while..... i still have no clue why they don;t make an incision in the sack pull it out and do the cutting there...........it would make recover 100x faster

[wildman1717]

I'm sorry to hear about your problem and I hope things all go well for you. Keep us posted bro and good luck.

[BigRagu]

btw keep youru head up i want to say this again... the tumor might not be cancerous........

[Albert]

Hi BigRagu,

I did not lose neither of my testes, but I remember reading some where that the teste is remove that way because they get a good look at all of the teste, connecting veins and tissue to see if it has spread.

If they remove it through the sack they would only see a small amount of the veins and connecting tissue.

All the information is on the TCRC site.

Later,
Albert.

Originally Posted by BigRagu

those block tests test for certain protiens in the blood... usually u call them testing for markers....... he had them done and something was raised..... don't worry u will get out of this just fine

i can say this though so u can expect it... the operation for the removal of the testicle is an easy one but it's an incision like a hernia.... it's a pain to walk around ... i was walking like a hunchback 4 alittle while..... i still have no clue why they don;t make an incision in the sack pull it out and do the cutting there...........it would make recover 100x faster

[swan]

Hi guys ,
Just a quick update and some lab results , hopefully someone can help with.
I had the teste removed about 4-5 weeks ago and a week later had blood results (markers ) , they had increased which is not what you want. Pathology report on the teste indicated lymphatic invasion and the cancer is 95% embryonic carcinoma with some teratoma. Scans revealed a 2.5 cm abdominal lymph node. I have almost finished my first round of chemo i will be doing 3 x BEP.
I miss my workouts and have put on 4 kg. in 2 weeks ( all on the belly!!) anyhow i will find out next week if the chemo is working . Fingers crossed.

My oncoligist has told me she is happy for me to keep using my compounded testo cream , it has nearly run out and my doc has said he will order a 10% instead of 7% going on the results from 25/1/06 . what do you guys think of these results and his suggestion.

Testosterone 15.0 nmol/L (6.0-30)
F.A.I. 93.8 %(18-210 )
Free testost. 434 pmol/L (170-500)
S.H.B.G. 16 nmol/L (15-20 )
Serum Oestradiol 156 pmol/L (<200)
DHT 6.0 nmol/L (1.2 - 4.7 )
DHEA-s 7.3 umol/L (2.4 -13.3 )
F.S.H 1 IU/L (1-12 )
L.H 1 IU/L
Lipid studies
total chol 5.4 nmol/L (<5.6 }
tryglyceride 1.8 (<2.6 )
HDL chol. 1.2 (<1.0 )
LDL chol. 3.4 (3.6 )
Chol/HDL Ratio 4.5 (4.1)
TSH 1.47 mlU/L (0.50 -5.00 )

Someone in another thread suggested i get thyroid antibodies tested also,
Thyroid autoantibodies
Thyroglobulin (T.G) antibodies 36 U/ml (<100 )
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) antibodies 46 U/ml (<100)

So what do you guys think? It is hard to say how i am feeling because the chemo makes you feel like shit , but i still have no libido.
Any questions , fire away.
I look forward to your as always,helpfull input , and you are all in good health.
Cheers Swan