testicular germ cell tumours

Last reviewed 01/2018

Testicular germ cell cancer is mainly a disease of young men

• 85% cases are between the age of 15 and 44 years
• The life time risk of is around 1 in 200 in the UK
• If diagnosed early, 95% of cases can be cured and treatment can be less intensive (1)

Germ cell tumours are broadly divided into:

• pure seminomas,
• account for approximately 40% of tumours
  
  
• non-seminomas
• account for approximately 60% tumours
• include multiple cell types e.g. - embryonal cell carcinoma, choriocarcinioma, yolk sac tumour
• clinically more aggressive (2)

Reference:

• (1) Horwich A et al. Testicular germ cell tumour. BMJ. 2013;347:6205
• (2) Sohaib SA, Koh DM, Husband JE. The role of imaging in the diagnosis, staging, and management of testicular cancer. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008;191(2):387-95