Testis tumors

Abstract

There is a bimodal age distribution for testis tumors with one peak occurring in the first 2 years of life, and a second, much larger peak occurring in young adulthood. Therefore pediatric testis tumors occur in two distinct groups-prepubertal patients and adolescents. Testicular tumors in adolescents and children do have some similarities. Both usually present with a testicular mass and are treated initially with excision of the primary tumor. In both children and adolescents, malignant testis tumors are particularly sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy, which has revolutionized the management of testicular cancer throughout the age spectrum. However, there are important differences between testis tumors occurring in children and adolescents. These differences occur in the tumor histopathol-ogy, malignant potential, and pattern of metastatic spread. The patients themselves are also dissimilar with different concerns regarding surgical morbidity and preservation of testicular function. These differences have resulted in a signifi cantly different approach to testicular tumors in the two age groups. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.