dislikes in forum ....please read and explain

[freakedout]

hi, how come everyone in this forum that asks if they have tc by explaining there symptoms people always repley that tc is very rare ..

but if you acctually notice and read... tc isnt that rare almost everyone is getting it and those who think they might have it acctually end up having tc...
i dont see it being very rare at all.......


what is the percentage that tc is curable?

and do all people with tc go through chemo??
or is it also rare??

[Scott]

There are about 145,000,000 million men in the United States and only about 8,000 cases of testicular cancer a year, so it is quite rare.

Whether chemotherapy is required depends on whether and how far the cancer has spread. Stage I cancer, confined to the testicle, may be cured by removing the testicle. If cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen, it may be cured with additional surgery or radiation (seminoma only). If it has spread further, to the lungs or other organs, chemotherapy is necessary.

For most types of testicular cancer, cure rates are better than 90%, and they're about 50% for even the worst cases.

[burgdob]

Yes, eventhe Doctor said "TC is rare" when I first visited. You are noticing it a lot, like when you buy a new car, you see a lot more on the road. About 50% of the men i told my story to has something wrong, a lump, bump, etc, with their testicle that turned out to be something else.

Beside the folks here, and Lance, I know of noone else that's had it.

I was told 5yr survival rate for type 1 seminoma is practically 100%

[Karen]

The best site for information on how to do a proper self exam, the anatomy of the testcle, and all the things in addition to tc a lump can be is http://tcrc.acor.org . The bottom line is it that nobody on this site can diagnose you, and we will all tell you if you feel there is a lump/bump/swellling/pain that you need to go to a doctor, preferably a urologist, and have it checked out. Lots of young guys post here are as terrified as you they have TC, are afriad to tell their parents, are afraid of the exam. This is your life. Take control of the situation. You should be sent for an ultrasound followed by blood markers if they see anything suspicious. Read up on this so that whe you go to the doc you can ask relevant questions. We're all happy when someone posts that the bump they've worried themselves sick over for weeks is no more than a cyst.

[IowaBrian]

In over 3 years of working life insurance claims I have never seen T/C come up once, many other things but never ever T/C and I see almost every file that is worked on with our company. If you want to know what will do you in just ask me but T/C isn't one of them that comes up everyday or even once year... that is a good thing in my book.
Brian

[MROSE]

TC is the most rare form of cancer (so statistics say) - but keep in mind, you are in a forum that is specific to TC and are in contact with many people going through the cancer or talking with survivors, so in here it might seem like TC is everywhere! I feel that way after going through it with my boyfriend and he was treated at Sloan-Kettering in NYC, a great place for TC patients. It is also almost ALWAYS curable, even in later stages. There are so many options for TC patients and the chemotherapy combinations/surgery when necessary are very VERY effective. So, as rare as the cancer is (even though it doesn't seem like it!) it is much more (if not always) curable than others that you hear about more often. Each year, cure rates go up for TC little by little.

Good luck! If you want to talk, just send me a message - I'd be more than happy to send you some good links for expert info on TC.

Melissa

[Scott]

If you like statistics, check out this overview from the U.S. National Cancer Institute.