Towards the earlier diagnosis of testicular cancer

There is little public awareness that testicular cancer is the commonest malignancy in men aged 20 to 44 years. Early diagnosis correlates with an improved chance of cure and a reduction in the severity of treatment. There have been major advances in treatment in the past decade, so that 80 per cent of patients with metastases can expect a cure. The family practitioner must be active in the management of this disease by educating his or her patients, by remaining vigilant to the possible diagnosis of this entity, and by referring patients to specialist urologists or to cancer centres with a specific interest and expertise in the management of this disease. With the vast improvement in techniques of management, when applied in specialist centres, errors of clinical judgment by inexperienced practitioners could now become the commonest cause of death from this disease.