Testicular cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer that occurs in men from ages 15 to 34. Approximately 95 percent of testicular tumors stem from germ cells. Seminomas, which are widely considered to develop from the germinal epithelium of the seminiferous tubules, account for approximately half of all germ cell tumors.

Seminomas are malignant, and though at one time they were usually fatal, advances in the medical field have ensured that the vast majority of patients fully recover. Treatment may involve the surgical removal of the affected testicle, but studies show that the tumors demonstrate remarkable sensitivity to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The exact treatment utilized for a particular patient varies based on the stage of the disease, general health of the individual, and a number of other factors, but oftentimes those with advanced seminoma are provided with combination therapy.

Seminoma tumors are usually first noticed accidentally or through self-examination. The growths typically manifest themselves as a lump in one of the testicles, often without any other symptoms of their existence. Sometimes the tumors may result in pain in the testicles, groin, or lower abdomen or a feeling of heaviness or fluid-accumulation in the scrotum.

The cause of seminoma tumors is not known, but a history or trauma to the testes is not uncommon, though generally believed to be coincidental. Most researchers consider such trauma to be the reason the growths are first noticed rather than why they form. Seminoma does, however, appear to have a definite link with cryptorchidism, a condition often more familiarly known as undescended testicles. As many of ten percent of seminoma tumors identified occur in individuals with a history of cryptorchidism.

Testicular Seminoma at 10x Magnification - Approximately 85 percent of seminoma tumors are confined to the testes when they are diagnosed by a medical professional.

Testicular Seminoma at 40x Magnification - In very rare instances, systemic symptoms of seminoma may develop due to metastases of in the liver, lungs, bone, or other parts of the body.

Testicular Seminoma at 20x Magnification - Unlike nonseminoma testicular tumors, seminomas have a propensity for remaining localized or to spread only to nearby lymph nodes.

Testicular Seminoma at 20x Magnification - Seminoma is much more likely to occur in white men than black men, but so far this fact is inexplicable.