Testicular Cancer - Is Marijuana Use Increasing Your Risk? - Health - Cancer

The words testicular cancer will strike fear into the hearts (and other body parts much lower down) of most men.

Testicular cancer is the commonest cancer affecting young men between 20 and 39 years old.

The exact cause of testicular cancer is not known. There are really no outward or apparent symptoms of testicular cancer that would alert you to its presence in your body. You might not even know about it until the tumour has grown large enough to be visible on the testicle and by this time is has probably spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.

There is no known cause of testicular cancer but several risk factors are correlated with the development of the disease. Risk Factors

The most significant risk factors appear to be genetics and two specific abnormalities of the testicles. A recent study has linked marijuana use to the development of the disease.Genetics:

If you have a close male relative such as a father or brother who has been diagnosed with testicular cancer your risk is higher than the general population. Similarly your racial background may increase the risk as there appears to be an increased risk in Caucasians and Hispanics. Testicular abnormalities

If you had an undescended testicle the risk of developing testicular cancer goes up especially if you were older than eleven years of age by the time the abnormality was surgically corrected.

There is also a specific complication of a childhood infectious illness called mumps orchitis that predisposes to the development of testicular cancer in later life. Mumps orchitis is the complication mumps that occurs when the mumps virus travels to the testicles and causes infection and inflammation.Marijuana

Some recent research has now linked the development of testicular cancer to the use of marijuana. In a study of men already diagnosed with testicular cancer marijuana use was 70% more prevalent than in a control group of men who did not have the disease. It was also correlated with an early age on onset for marijuana smoking and the length of marijuana usage appeared to be linked to a higher risk as well. It has been known for some time that the testicles are quite receptive to the cannaboids in marijuana so perhaps the findings are not that surprising.

Of all the risk factors for the development of testicular cancer marijuana use appears to be the only one that is easily modifiable and under your control.Treatment

If testicular cancer is diagnosed then the affected testicle is removed. This procedure is called an orchiectomy. Prosthetic devices are available for implantation to restore a normal look and feel to the scrotum. The regular cancer therapies of radiation and chemotherapy would be used if there were signs that the cancer has already spread to the lymphatic system.

Survival rates for testicular cancer are close to 90% if the tumour is found early. The best way to detect a tumour is to perform a monthly testicular self exam.

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