24-year-old undergoes life-saving laparoscopic surgery for rare germ cell tumour

New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) A 24-year-old man who had been living with an undescended testis since birth was found to have developed a large germ cell tumour measuring 24 x 14 x 15 cm. A laparoscopic surgery at a hospital here successfully extracted the growth before it spread to other parts of the body.

According to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where the patient was treated, he had approached doctors following persistent abdominal discomfort and the appearance of a lump.

The hospital said in a statement that imaging revealed the growth had originated from an undescended right testis — a condition known as cryptorchidism, which, if left untreated, carries a significantly higher risk of developing testicular cancer.

It added that the surgery was performed laparoscopically by a team of surgeons led by Dr Ashish Dey, Consultant Senior Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeon, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

"The entire surgery was performed laparoscopically, and the huge tumour was removed intact through a midline incision," Dey said.

"There was no spread to the lymph nodes, and the patient recovered well and was discharged the next day," he added.

The patient, after a successful recovery, said he had no idea the condition could turn cancerous. "If I’d been told earlier that this could turn cancerous, I would have acted immediately," he said.

Doctors at the hospital emphasised that undescended testis, though often overlooked, affects about one in every 30 full-term boys and is even more common in premature infants.

"Men with a history of undescended testis have a three to eight-fold higher risk of developing testicular cancer. Early surgical correction, ideally before 18 months of age, and lifelong screening can prevent such advanced cases," a doctor said.

He also recommended regular self-examinations, ultrasound scans, and blood tests for tumour markers such as AFP, hCG, and LDH for early detection, adding that even after corrective surgery (orchidopexy), periodic monitoring remains important, especially if the procedure was performed after puberty. PTI NSM ARB ARB ARB