TUMORS According to Steffen, who collected 19 eases, malignant tumors of the male genital organs are rare in infancy. Of the 19 cases, six involved the prostate ancl 13 the testicles. Cancerous degeneration of the pros tate has hitherto been observed only in children up to eight years of age; the youngest was six months old. The tuntor is generally a med ullary carcinoma. It may attain considerable size, and may produce symptoms clue to displacement of the pelvic organs. Metastasis has been found in almost all of the internal organs, but it is not certain whether in adults it affects the bones. Pain and difficulty in urination are the earliest symptoms. A point of importance from the standpoint of diagnosis is that the neighboring inguinal glands are early involved. The general health soon suffers. The diagnosis is established by pal pation through the rectum. The fatal termination, which as a rule occurs in from three to seven months, cannot be ay-erted even by opera tive interference.
Cancer of the testicles, somewhat more frequent than cancer of the prostate, attacks by preference the very youngest children, often during the first few- months of life. The youngest case of the kind was only six weeks old. Medullary carcinoma and scirrhous forms have been de scribed. The former are both more rapid in growth and more malignant.
At the onset, cancer of the testicle is not attended by any symp toms. It seldom causes pain. As it increases in size it causes discom fort by its weight. The general health is noticeably Unpaired, and a decided cachexia appears. The prognosis is unfavorable because of the great tendency to metastasis. Only an early operation can promise any hope of a cure. Rarer than carcinoma are the sarcomata. Amongst the benign tumors are to be mentioned enchondrornata and embryomata.