Health
Testicular cancer although a relatively rare thing is a disease that is more often found in younger men with those between the ages of 15 and 35 being most at risk.
It's a well known fact that when it comes to health men are the least likely to see a doctor, preferring to take an ostrich approach so a guy that finds any unusual changes with his testicles will be pretty scared, but if you think you have an issue, seeing your doctor quickly is crucial.
Remember an early diagnosis and treatment can literally be life saving with over 95% of cases being curable if caught early.
Putting off a doctor's appointment isn't going to solve anything. Knowing the symptoms, checking yourself regularly and taking action straight away, are your best means of defence against testicular cancer.
Do you know what the symptoms are and how to check yourself?
The majority of men who were fertile before being diagnosed with testicular cancer, are able to have children after treatment
Testicular cancer symptoms you should check for:
A painless lump or swelling (this is the most common symptom of testicular cancer)
A dull ache in your scrotum/lower abdomen
A feeling of heaviness in your scrotum
If you find any of the above get off to see your GP. It's worth noting that most testicular lumps turn out not to be cancer. Less than four in 100 testicular lumps are found to be cancer, but that is not an excuse for burying your head in the sand and hoping everything will be OK, get it checked out by your GP is important.
How to Check:
Whether it's you or your partner doing the checking, it's best done after a warm bath or shower when the scrotal skin is relaxed:
Hold your scrotum in the palm of your hands, and use your fingers and thumbs to gently check your testicles.
Feel each testicle separately, look for any changes in heaviness or size.
At the top and back of your testicles, there's a soft tube called the epididymis (which carries and stores sperm). Because of this tube, your testicles won't feel completely smooth at the top or back, which is entirely normal. However, if you think you've found a change in this area, still make an appointment with your GP.
The front and sides of your testicles should feel smooth, so check gently for any lumps or swelling.
If you do find any changes with your testicles, again get to your GP immediately to get things checked out.
Treatments available for testicular cancer
If the news is bad what will happen? In all cases of testicular cancer, the first treatment option is to remove the affected testicle. While this might sound drastic, it's the most successful way to stop the cancer spreading and allow you to make a full recovery.
The procedure, known as an orchidectomy, is performed under general anaesthetic, and a prosthetic testicle (usually made from silicone) can be inserted into the scrotum, to keep things looking very similar to the way they were pre-surgery. It's rare to get testicular cancer in both testicles, so in most cases, just one testicle is removed.
Depending on which type of testicular cancer is diagnosed, and the stage it's at, a course of radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be used after surgery. In more advanced stages of testicular cancer, removing affected lymph nodes may also be required.
Fertility
The majority of men who were fertile before being diagnosed with testicular cancer, are able to have children after treatment.
Chemotherapy is the biggest risk to your fertility when being treated for testicular cancer. While this may leave most men temporarily infertile during treatment, over 75% of men are still able to father children.
Having high levels of chemotherapy, both testicles removed and/or the lymph nodes removed can have a bigger impact on men's fertility and in cases that require these then ask your GP about sperm banking prior to treatment.
Information on how testicular cancer can affect your fertility, can be found on the Cancer Research website.
The main thing all men should do is carry out regular checks, if in doubt see your GP, sooner rather than later and remember early diagnosis and treatment almost always cures.
Other sources of information on testicular cancer
Cancer Research UK
NHS Choices.
Everyman male cancer charity
tagged in Mens Health