ABSTRACT
Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men. We discuss four cases of germ cell tumours (GCTs) presenting to general practitioners and physicians where there were notable preventable delays in the diagnosis and management. This diagnostic delay is associated with a more advanced stage of disease, and subsequent increased treatment-related morbidity and decreased survival. Our series highlights the variety of ways in which GCTs may present and we discuss the importance of prompt diagnosis through a thorough history and examination, early measurement of serum tumour markers and appropriate multidisciplinary team discussion. GCTs are highly curable cancers in the majority of patients and delays in management can, therefore, have devastating consequences.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal , Testicular Neoplasms , Biomarkers, Tumor , Delayed Diagnosis , Humans , Male , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/diagnosis , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Testicular Neoplasms/diagnosis , Testicular Neoplasms/therapyABSTRACT
Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young adult men. The prognosis is excellent in limited disease and cure is possible even in advanced disease. Quality performance indicators (QPI) are used in many developed countries as a measure of healthcare performance. We report and discuss the development of a national set of QPIs in Scotland for testicular cancer as a method of gathering demographic data and driving improvement in nationwide testicular cancer outcomes.
