Thanks to early detection, it is affirmed by CREA, definitive cure is facilitated in a 90% of the cases.   

• Oligozoospermia (low sperm count) might be due to testicular cancer. 

• Complete male clinical evaluation every year allows to detect this pathology in sterile patients. 

• CREA also recommends to perform a basic semen analysis, testicular self-examination on a routine basis and to consult with a specialist as soon as any type of mass, growth or pain appears in that area. 

Early detection of testicular cancer allows, in a 90% of the cases, to treat it definitively. It has been declared by CREA (Assisted Reproduction Medical Centre in Valencia) while recommending youngsters between 15 and 35 to perform a preventive control as, in those age group, testicular cancer is the most frequent cancer. 

“Given that testicles are the sperm factory, the presence of a cancer frequently provokes a significant reduction of sperm count that, on occasions, is the first sign of pathology even before than the presence of a tumoral mass or pain at scrotum level” Dr. Miguel Ruíz Jorro, Head of Andrology Department at Crea-Valencia, points out. “In presence of an extremely reduced sperm count it’s very important to assess its cause and to study if it might be due to cancer or to another pathology of the male reproductive apparatus”. 

“Testicular cancer is the most frequent among youngsters, although it can appear at any age. Approximately one out of 270 men will suffer from testicular cancer at some stage of his life, although it is generally considered a good prognosis cancer and in many occasions can be successfully treated, depending on the type of tumor, but also on the early detection and on its stage of development. Its incidence has been increasing in the last decades although it seems that its frequency is decreasing, possibly for the better information on early detection and for the control of substances that might affect the incidence of this type of neoplasia. 

Besides infertility, other risk factors that are associated with higher rate of testicular cancer’s incidence are Cryptorchidism – or maldescended testes – and Hypospadias, congenital abnormality where the urinary opening is in the lower part of the penis and not in its head. Due to its incidence and for the benefits of the early diagnosis, CREA recommends self-examination on a routine basis. Should a new mass or any area of the testicle be more hardened  or painful, or should there be a general enlargement of any testicle without any specific cause that justifies it, like some trauma, it is advisable to consult with a specialist to perform a thorough exploration and possibly, also an ultrasound. In any case, it’s very important to bear in mind that any symptoms or signs like pain, poor sperm quality or low sperm count, size increasing or testicular consistency…. might be due to other causes different to testicular cancer, likewise there might be a testicular cancer without the appearence of any of this signs or risk factors, therefore it’s very important to visit a specialist should there be any doubts.  

CREA has been a pioneering centre in Spain in supporting the benefit for men, between 15 and 35, of performing a sperm analysis as preventive control for testicular cancer. Indeed, since 2009 Crea has launched several awareness campaigns about the importance of performing these analyses that, here at CREA, are performed to patients and also to candidates to be sperm donors. The centre has been one of the first in carrying out clinical trials for male diagnosis and treatment, being one of the few centres where the andrology evaluation it is not only perfectly protocolled but also required for each male involved in an assisted reproduction treatment. 

“Complete clinical evaluation of sterile man, as the one carried out to the woman, is simple and beneficial for each couple, because it allows to evaluate the risk for the male of suffering any serious disease that might be the cause of his infertility, such as testicular cancer, it also allows to foresee the risk of transmitting any serious disease to his descendants, especially genetic, and it also allows to know if there is any factor affecting the sperm reproductive potential and therefore it’s possible to obtain better results in terms of fertilization rates, embryo quality and chances of healthy and viable pregnancy.