Did you know… 

• Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men in the UK and it occurs mostly in those aged between 19-44

• The risk of developing it has doubled in the past 20 years.

• It is easily treated and  if caught at an early stage, testicular cancer is nearly always curable.

• A simple regular self check could help you to detect the early signs of the disease.

• Only three per cent of young men regularly check their testicles according to an Imperial Cancer Research Fund study. Most are unaware of this simple method of early detection of cancer.

More than 50% of sufferers consult their doctors after the cancer has started to spread. This makes it more difficult to treat successfully and the treatment and its side effects become more unpleasant.

The message is simple: Be Aware!

If you know the way your testicles feel normally, you are more likely to detect changes which could be the early signs of developing cancer.

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Causes

Testicular cancer is still quite rare, with just over 1420 new cases a year in the UK. However, it is one of the most curable cancers with 90%making a complete recovery. We don’t know what causes it yet, but we do know that men who were born with an undescended or partly descended testicle are five times more likely to develop testicular cancer.

Other research has suggested that there may be a hereditary factor involved, and that if you have a father or brother who has developed the disease you are at an increased risk. A brother with testicular cancer means that you could be 10 times more likely to develop it.

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Prevention

Not enough is known at the moment about the causes to suggest ways of preventing it. However, recent work by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the CRC has shown that if undescended testicles are corrected before a boy is 10 years old, his risk of developing testicular cancer drops back to the average level of one in 450 before the age of 50.The research also shows that regular exercise could help to reduce the risk.

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Symptoms

The first sign is usually a swelling of one of the testicles, or a pea-sized hard lump on the front or side of a testicle.

Occasionally there may be a dull ache, or even more seldom, acute pain.

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What to do and when

From the time of puberty onwards you should do a simple quick check of yourself regularly. This will help you to know what is normal for you (everyone is different) and you will be able to detect any changes early on.

A good place to do this is in, or immediately after a bath or a shower, when the muscle in the scrotal sac is more relaxed.

You could ask your partner to help.

Hold your scrotum in the palm of your hands, so that you can use the fingers and thumb on both hands to examine your testicles.

Note the size and weight of the testicles. It is common to have one slightly larger, or which hangs lower than the other, but any noticeable increase in size or weight may mean something is wrong.

Gently feel each testicle individually 

You should feel a soft tube at the top and back of the testicle. This is the epididymis which carries and stores sperm. It may feel slightly tender. Don’t confuse it with an abnormal lump.

Feel the testicle itself. It should be smooth with no lumps or swellings. It is unusual to develop cancer in both testicles at the same time, so if you are wondering whether a testicle is feeling normal or not, you can compare it with the other.

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What if you notice a change?

If you notice a change (particularly a hardening lump or swelling, usually on the front or side of the testicle) you should discuss it with your doctor as so as possible.

Do not be nervous or embarrassed about consulting your doctor. Do not wait to see if the symptoms go away.

Most lumps found by self-examination are benign, particularly those on the epididymis. But a few will be cancerous, particularly if they are on the testicle itself, and should be treated immediately. Only your doctor will be able to tell which should be investigated further.

Remember: 50% of patients consult their doctors after the cancer has started to spread, when it is more difficult to treat.

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What if it’s cancer?

If your doctor thinks it might be cancer, he or she will refer you to hospital where doctors may do an ultrasound test to investigate further.

If this test shows that it is cancer, the affected testicle will be removed and examined under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.

If the cancer has not spread, it may not be necessary for further treatment after surgery. If it has spread, the patient is usually given chemotherapy (drug treatment), though for a few patients radiotherapy is still used in the early stages.

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Sex life and fertility

Treatment for testicular cancer should not normally affect your sex life. The occasional patient may have problems with infertility before diagnosis of testicular cancer. For those who are fertile there is little risk of their fertility being damaged irreversibly by the treatment. A period of 12 – 24 months of diminished fertility after treatment is usual, however.

It is rare to have the disease in both testicles, and if one testicle has to be removed, the remaining testicle tends to make enough sperm to compensate for the loss.

Several hundred children have been fathered over the last decade by parents treated for testicular cancer and there is no evidence of any genetic problems to your offspring from the treatment.

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