Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men between ages 15 and 45. When a tumor is found, the normal procedure is simply to remove it. But the way it's removed, which often leaves men infertile, can change the course of a man's life. About 3 percent of all men who have testicular tumors in one testicle will develop it in the other. If both testicles are removed, they will have no hormonproduction and no possibility for fertility. With the new technique, doctors can remove the malignant tumor and still preserve and treat the remaining testicle.
To prevent doing the severe procedure unnecessarily, researchers combined two common surgical methods. Researchers say , "They wondered, 'Why can't we use needles to find these tiny tumors that we're picking up now on ultrasound and then use the microscope to be able to find them and remove them and thereby not have to remove the testicle -- just remove the tumor?'John opted for the new surgery. He now has no complications. He also has a son named Jack. "Thankfully, he looks like his mother, and he's a real joy, a blessing, and I'm happy to have him," John says.
Specialists says it makes a big difference for men who want to have children. "We're both saving the patient's life because we're curing him of his cancer, and we're giving him the opportunity to create new life in the future," they say.
