• Skip to main content
Search
  • Home
  • Services
      • Behavioral Health
      • Bloodless Medicine
      • Brain & Spine
      • Cancer Care
      • Ear, Nose and Throat
      • Emergency Care
      • Geriatric Care
      • Heart & Vascular Care
      • Home Health Care
      • Medical Imaging
      • Minimally Invasive Surgery
      • Orthopedics
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Rehabilitation Services
      • Weight Loss Surgery
      • Wound Healing & Care
      • Women's Health
  • Doctors
      • Find a Primary Care Doctor
      • Find a Doctor
      • Physician Referral
      • Practices:

        Baptist Primary Care
      • Baptist AgeWell
      • Baptist Behavioral Health
      • Baptist Endocrinology
      • Baptist ENT Specialists
      • Baptist Heart Specialists
      • Baptist Infectious Diseases
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Physicians
      • Baptist Neurology
      • Baptist Pulmonary Specialists (Nassau)
      • Baptist Rheumatology
      • Baptist Urology Group (Nassau)
      • Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute
      • Lyerly Neurosurgery
  • Locations
    • Our Hospitals:

      • Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
      • Baptist Medical Center South
      • Baptist Medical Center Beaches
      • Baptist Medical Center Nassau
      • Baptist Heart Hospital
      • Wolfson Children's Hospital

      Imaging Centers:

      • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
      • Mammography and Bone Density
      • Medical Imaging

      Freestanding Emergency Centers:

      • Baptist Emergency at Clay
      • Baptist Emergency at North
      • Baptist Emergency at Town Center

      Urgent Care Locations:

      • Baptist Health Clinics at Walgreens
      • CareSpot Urgent Care

      Health & Wellness:

      • 4her Center for Women
      • JCA Wellness Connexion
      • Y Healthy Living Centers

      Outpatient Locations:

      • AgeWell Center for Senior Health
      • Baptist Clay Medical Campus
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
      • Baptist Neurodiagnostic Center
      • Baptist North Medical Campus
      • Cardiac Testing Centers
      • Hill Breast Center
      • Infusion Center
      • Pharmacy
      • Rehabilitation Centers
      • Robotic Spine Surgery
      • Sleep Centers
      • Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center
      • Surgery Centers
      • Wound Care
  • Patient Info
      • Billing & Insurance Information
      • Insurance Plans Accepted
      • Cost Estimate Request
      • Financial Assistance Program
      • My Baptist Connect (Patient Portal)
      • Medical Records
      • Classes and Events
      • Clinical Trials
      • Tell Us What You Think
  • Health Library
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Symptoms
      • Tests
      • Surgeries and Procedures
      • Injuries
      • Nutrition
      • Poison
      • Drug Information
      • Drug Images
      • Health News
      • Video Library
  • About Us
      • Administration
      • Awards & Honors
      • Careers
      • Provider Opportunities
      • Baptist MD Anderson Provider Opportunities
      • Spiritual Care
      • Social Responsibility
      • Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
      • Corporate Wellness (PATH)
      • Volunteering
      • Newsroom
  • Juice
      • Health News Overview:

      • Brain, Spine & Nerve
      • Cancer
      • Child Health
      • Community Health
      • Heart & Vascular
      • Mental Health
      • Orthopedics, Bones & Muscles
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Wellness
      • Women's Health
  1. Home
  2. Health Library
  3. Diseases and Conditions
  4. Leydig cell testicular tumor

Leydig cell testicular tumor

Diseases and Conditions
Tumor - Leydig cell; Testicular tumor - Leydig

A Leydig cell tumor is a tumor of the testicle. It develops from Leydig cells. These are the cells in the testicles that release the male hormone, testosterone.

The cause of this tumor is unknown. There are no known risk factors for this tumor. Unlike germ cell tumors of the testicles, this tumor does not seem to be linked to undescended testes.

Leydig cell tumors make up a very small number of all testicular tumors. They are most often found in men between 30 and 60 years of age. This tumor is not common in children before puberty, but it may cause early puberty.

Symptoms

There may be no symptoms.

When symptoms do occur, they can include:

  • Discomfort or pain in the testicle
  • Enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels
  • Excess growth of breast tissue (gynecomastia) -- however, this can occur normally in adolescent boys who do not have testicular cancer
  • Heaviness in the scrotum
  • Lump or swelling in either testicle
  • Pain in the lower abdomen or back
  • Not able to father children (infertility)

Symptoms in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, abdomen, pelvis, back, or brain may also occur if the cancer has spread.

Exams and Tests

A physical examination typically reveals a firm lump in one of the testicles. When the health care provider holds a flashlight up to the scrotum, the light does not pass through the lump. This test is called transillumination.

Other tests include:

  • Blood tests for tumor markers: alpha fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (beta HCG), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
  • CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis to check if the cancer has spread
  • Ultrasound of the scrotum

An examination of the tissue is usually done after the entire testicle is surgically removed (orchiectomy).

Treatment

Treatment of a Leydig cell tumor depends on its stage.

  • Stage I cancer has not spread beyond the testicle.
  • Stage II cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.
  • Stage III cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes (possibly as far as the liver, lungs, or brain).

Surgery is done to remove the testicle (orchiectomy). Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed (lymphadenectomy).

Chemotherapy may be used to treat this tumor. As Leydig cell tumors are rare, these treatments have not been studied as much as treatments for other, more common testicular cancers.

Support Groups

Joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems can often help ease the stress of illness.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable and curable cancers. Outlook is worse if the tumor is not found early.

Possible Complications

The cancer may spread to other parts of the body. The most common sites include the:

  • Abdomen
  • Lungs
  • Retroperitoneal area (the area near the kidneys behind the other organs in the belly area)
  • Spine

Complications of surgery can include:

  • Bleeding and infection
  • Infertility (if both testicles are removed)

If you are of childbearing age, ask your provider about methods to save your sperm for use at a later date.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your provider if you have symptoms of testicular cancer.

Prevention

Performing testicular self-examination (TSE) each month may help detect testicular cancer at an early stage, before it spreads. Finding testicular cancer early is important for successful treatment and survival.

References

American Cancer Society website. Signs and symptoms of testicular cancer. www.cancer.org/cancer/testicular-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-and-symptoms.html. Updated May 17, 2018. Accessed June 11, 2018.

Friedlander TW, Ryan CJ, Small EJ, Torti F. Testicular cancer. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014:chap 86.

National Cancer Institute website. Testicular cancer treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/testicular/hp/testicular-treatment-pdq. Updated January 30, 2018. Accessed June 11, 2018.

Stephenson AJ, Gilligan TD. Neoplasms of the testis. In: Wein AJ, Kavoussi LR, Partin AW, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 34.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 5/14/2018

Reviewed By: Preeti Sudheendra, MD, oncologist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

 
 
 

 

 

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.
Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.

Related Information

  • Tumor

  • Testosterone

Daily Health and Medical News

Results for cancer, cell, leydig, leydig cell testicular tumor, neoplasm

  • Should You Get Tested for the 'Breast Cancer Genes'?
    February 19, 2019

  • Kidney Failure Patients Face Higher Risk of Cancer Death
    February 14, 2019

  • Despite Gains, Black Americans Still Have Highest Cancer Death Rate
    February 14, 2019

  • Breast Cancer and DDT: Timing of Exposure May Matter
    February 14, 2019

  • Tasmanian Devils Likely to Survive Cancer Scourge
    February 13, 2019

© Copyright 2019 | All Rights Reserved

If you speak another language, assistance services
free of charge, are available to you.

Baptist Health Facebook Baptist Health Twitter Baptist Health on LinkedIn Baptist Health on Instagram Baptist Health on Youtube
Physician Login | Application Login | Employee Login
Quality Measures | Privacy | Non-Discrimination | Comments | Site Map