Challenging Presentations of Germ Cell Tumours in Routine Clinical Practice

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 sta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 2021-03, Vol.51 (1), p.53-57
Main Authors: Bezawada, Navya, Norton, Arthur, Mactier, Karen, MacDonald, Graham, Waterston, Ashita, Mmeka, Walter, Malik, Jahangeer, Law, Alistair, Barrie, Colin, Drummond, Allan, Muir, Colin, White, Jeff
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1478-2715
2042-8189
DOI:10.4997/jrcpe.2021.113