Testicular Mesothelioma

Testicular mesothelioma is the rarest form of malignant mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. To date, less than one hundred cases of this type of mesothelioma have been reported.

Testicular mesothelioma develops in the membranous lining that surrounds the testicle, the tunica vaginalis, which provides protection and support for the reproductive organ.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Testicular Mesothelioma

Due to the rarity of testicular mesothelioma, there is no recognized set of symptoms for this form of cancer. In the majority of the few reported cases of the disease, noticeable symptoms have been confined to the appearance of testicular lumps and swelling of the scrotum.

Testicular mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until these lumps appear. In some cases, testicular mesothelioma has been detected when a patient undergoes surgery for another reason (such as hernia repair). In these cases, a sample of tissue may be removed (or biopsied) for diagnostic purposes, or the entire tumor may be removed.

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Treatment for Testicular Mesothelioma

Testicular mesothelioma treatment typically involves removal of a portion of one testicle, or even an entire testicle if necessary, depending on the extent of the cancer. Treatment may be followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Because testicular mesothelioma is often a secondary tumor, and the primary tumor is located within the peritoneum (the membrane lining the abdominal cavity), treatment may not be as simple as removing testicular tumors. In these cases, the primary tumors must be treated as well.

When a patient undergoes chemotherapy they typically receive chemotherapy medications through an IV. The drugs target and kill rapidly dividing cancerous cells, preventing their growth. Radiation therapy is also used to kill existing cancerous cells and prohibit the growth of new harmful cells by radiating the infected area.

It should be noted that both peritoneal and testicular mesothelioma are classified as being clinically aggressive types of asbestos cancer . This means they can spread rapidly and invasively. In addition, testicular mesothelioma tends to recur within a few years, even in cases where tumors are surgically removed.

How Does Asbestos Cause Testicular Mesothelioma?

Because testicular mesothelioma is extremely rare, very little is known about how it develops. Most researchers theorize there are two possible points of origin for testicular mesothelioma. The tunica vaginalis, the membrane where testicular mesothelioma develops, is composed of mesothelial cells, which are present in most of the body's membranous linings. The tunica vaginalis is made up of two layers, known as the parietal (outer) and visceral (inner) layers.

Firm white-yellow nodules can be found on the serosal surface of the tunica. The nodules can eventually encase the contents of the scrotum, and cause the tunica vaginalis to thicken.

While there is currently no theory to explain why asbestos exposure might cause a primary tumor to develop in the testicles, it is understood that once the asbestos fibers are in the body, they can become lodged in organs and cause inflammation or infection that can result in the development of mesothelioma. The fibers cause cancerous cells to divide abnormally, causing buildup of fluid and the development of tumors.

Once cells have become cancerous, they are no longer able to regulate their own cycles of growth and division. A primary tumor that develops in the testicle is formed from cancerous cells that divide without restraint, which causes the thickening of the tunica vaginalis and can eventually lead to the formation of tumors.

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