BROTHER DIAGNOSED WITH EMBRYONAL CELL CARCINOMA, NON-SEMINOMATOUS: PLEASE HELP

[Rileycat]

Hi all...

My brother, age 30, had pain and swelling in his right testicle and felt a lump. An ultrasound confirmed the presence of a mass, the testicle was removed, and a biopsy was done. The tests revealed that the mass was malignant. The doc says it is Embryonal Cell Carcinoma, Non-Seminomatous. My brother will be undergoing a series of CT scans (chest and abdomen), a bone scan, and more blood work.

I have no knowledge of this type of cancer (I'm still a nursing student) and I was hoping that someone out there could provide me with some information. I checked out a few web-sites that were recommended to me, but I still feel as though I need more information.

Does anyone out there have any personal experience with this type of cancer? How aggressive is it? Are there any web-sites, articles, or books you can recommend? I could really use some help. Feel free to email me.

Thanks.

[hiker]

My husband had a seminoma (most common) 7 yrs ago, and is fine now. Most testicular tumors are of gonadal cell origin, and in the non-seminomas, the tumor cells can show various degrees of differentiation. Prognosis varies w/cell type and stage. With surgery and radiation, 90%with Stage 1 non-seminomas survive beyond 5 yrs. If cancer is beyond Stage 2 at diagnosis, prognosis is poor. I got this info from Professional Guide to Diseases,( a common book pub. by Springhouse.) Regardless of the staging, remember there is always hope- Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France biker is doing great, and HE had brain metastasis! I'll be thinking of you-Kate