More data, awareness of testicular cancer needed

Affecting one in 250 males in their lifetime, testicular cancer is one of the many forms of cancer to inflict men.

In Malaysia, statistics from the Malaysian National Cancer Registry 2012-2016 show 636 testicular cancer cases were recorded during that period.

The report also noted that testicular cancer accounted for 1.2% of cancers in Malaysian males during the period under review.

According to the World Health Organization’s Global Cancer Observatory’s statistics for 2022, there were 132 new cases and 20 deaths from testicular cancer in Malaysia.

As for its prevalence over a five-year period, there were 504 cases among a population of 100,000.

Testicular cancer is ranked 28th among the 32 cancers detected in the country.

National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) managing director Dr Murallitharan Munisamy said there was a need for more updated data on it.

Although younger males aged between 15 and 35 are more vulnerable to the condition, awareness of testicular cancer is relatively low in Malaysia, especially among young men, Dr Murallitharan said.

While prostate cancer is well known as a major cancer that affects men, many fail to recognise that testicular cancer is also prevalent in Malaysia, he added.

Dr Murallitharan said the most common signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include painless swelling or a lump in one of the testicles.

Aside from that, he said there could also be changes in the appearance and firmness of the testicles, heaviness in the scrotum and sharp pain.

“The exact cause of testicular cancer is still unknown.

“However, an individual can be at greater risk if he has a family history of testicular cancer, was born with a defect of the penis such as hypospadias, has contracted HIV and AIDS or has infertility,” he said.