A nurse is caring for an adolescent client who has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The nurse understands that testicular cancer most often develops from mutations of which of the following types of cells?

Rationale: A. These cells line the body’s surfaces and organs. While many cancers (like skin, lung, and colon cancers) originate from epithelial cells, testicular cancer does not typically arise from epithelial tissue. B. Leukocytes are white blood cells involved in immune function. Cancers of leukocytes result in leukemias, not testicular tumors. C. Testicular cancer most often originates from germ cells, which are the sperm-producing cells within the testes. Mutations in these cells lead to germ cell tumors, which are classified into seminomas (slow-growing, radiosensitive) and non-seminomas (faster-growing and more aggressive). Germ cell tumors account for over 90% of all testicular cancers and are most common in adolescents and young men (ages 15–35). D. Cancers of lymphocytes result in lymphomas, such as Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which can occasionally involve the testes but are not the primary type of testicular cancer.