My son has been told he has a Sertoli cell tumour of one of his testicles. I believe these tumours are quite rare. Can you tell me something about them?

A Sertoli cell tumour is a very rare type of tumour that can develop in the testicle. Sertoli cell tumours make up less than 1 in 100 of all testicular tumours and usually occur in childhood.

Sertoli cells are a special type of cell found only in the testicles. They form part of the male reproductive system and are involved in the production of the sperm.

Sertoli cell tumours are usually benign (non-cancerous) but occasionally they can be malignant (cancerous). Malignant Sertoli cell tumours tend to spread first to the lymph glands alongside the spine, in the abdomen (the retroperitoneal lymph nodes) and from there, to other parts of the body.

Sometimes Sertoli cell tumours produce the female hormone (oestrogen). This can lead to symptoms like reduced libido, reduced beard growth, breast enlargement and nipple soreness.

The treatment of these tumours is surgery, with removal of the affected testicle (an operation called an orchiectomy). If the tumour is benign then nothing else needs to be done and the condition is cured. If the growth is cancerous and doctors feel there is a high risk of it spreading they may recommend a further operation to take away the retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not commonly used in the treatment of Sertoli cell tumours.