Iceman
23-03-2011, 02:12 AM
We all know that Men are more proud than Women and that we think nothing could happen to us but lets be realistic, Testicular Cancer can happen to many Men. All it takes is 15-20 seconds of checking the testicles and feeling for any lumps or abnormalities. Below is some information that may help.
Why self-examine?
Things can go wrong with your testicles slowly, quickly or very fast indeed.
A few conditions that affect the testicles are serious, but most are not so being obsessed or frightened for no good reason is undesirable.
Knowing what your testicles normally feel and look like makes good sense so that changes can be spotted and advice sought quickly if needed. Getting the balance right is the name of the ball game!
Signs to watch out for:
* a lump in one testicle
* pain and tenderness in either testicle
* discharge or pus from the penis
* blood in the sperm at ejaculation
* a build-up of fluid inside the scrotum
* a heavy or dragging feeling in the groin or scrotum
* an enlargement of the breasts with or without tenderness
* an increase in size of a testicle (one testicle is normally larger then the other but the size and shape should remain more or less the same).
How to check your testicles
Check your testicles monthly in the following manner:
* do the self-examination lying in a warm bath or while having a long shower, as this softens the skin of the scrotum (skin sac that holds the testicles), which makes it easier to feel the testicles inside.
* examine the scrotum, looking for any lumps on the skin or swellings inside.
* cradle the whole scrotum and testicles in the palm of your hand and feel the difference between the testicles. One is almost always larger and lying lower. This is completely normal.
* examine each testicle in turn, and then compare them with each other. Use both hands and gently roll each testicle between thumb and forefinger.
* Check for any lumps or swellings as both testicles should be smooth except where the duct that carries sperm to the penis, the epididymis, runs. This lies along the top and back of the testicle and normally feels bumpy.
Testicular cancer represents only 1 per cent of all cancers in men, but it is the single biggest cause of cancer-related deaths in men aged 15 to 35 years in the UK.
Currently, about 1500 men a year (around 1 in 400) develop the disease in the UK. Unfortunately, the number of UK cases has trebled in the past 25 years and is still rising.
Although testicular cancer is rare, it is not at all uncommon to find a lump in your testicles. There are many conditions that can be easily confused with testicular cancer, and most of them are not anything like as serious.
Facts
* Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men between the ages of 20 and 34. There are about 7500 new cases yearly, with approximately 350 deaths per year in the US.
* Testicular cancer is more common in white men than black or Asian.
* Although it accounts for only about 1 percent of all cancers in men, it is the number one cancer killer among men in their 20's and 30's.
* Most testicular cancers are self-discovered by patients as a painless or uncomfortable lump in the testicle. About 1-3% of testicular neoplasms are bilateral.
* Pure seminomas constitute roughly 40% of all testicular cancer cases. Forty percent of the testicular cancers have mixture of histology.
* The cancer risk for boys with a history of undescended testicles is about 10-40 times higher than normal individuals. The risk of developing the disease was estimated at 1 out of 20 for a testis retained in the abdomen and 1 out of 80 if it was within the inguinal canal. The risk remains elevated after surgical correction. Both testis are at higher risk, not just the undescended one.
* If found early, testicular cancer is almost always curable.
* Early stage testicular cancer can be treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Late stage testicular cancer can be treated with the combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
* The prognosis for men with testicular cancer is very good, even with late stage disease. The chances of recovery are excellent with surgery and radiotherapy for early stage disease. Combined modality is used for treatment of late stage disease with good results.
* More than 90% of testicular cancer patients are cured by their initial treatment, and many of those who have recurrent disease can also be cured with chemotherapy or radiation.
Why self-examine?
Things can go wrong with your testicles slowly, quickly or very fast indeed.
A few conditions that affect the testicles are serious, but most are not so being obsessed or frightened for no good reason is undesirable.
Knowing what your testicles normally feel and look like makes good sense so that changes can be spotted and advice sought quickly if needed. Getting the balance right is the name of the ball game!
Signs to watch out for:
* a lump in one testicle
* pain and tenderness in either testicle
* discharge or pus from the penis
* blood in the sperm at ejaculation
* a build-up of fluid inside the scrotum
* a heavy or dragging feeling in the groin or scrotum
* an enlargement of the breasts with or without tenderness
* an increase in size of a testicle (one testicle is normally larger then the other but the size and shape should remain more or less the same).
How to check your testicles
Check your testicles monthly in the following manner:
* do the self-examination lying in a warm bath or while having a long shower, as this softens the skin of the scrotum (skin sac that holds the testicles), which makes it easier to feel the testicles inside.
* examine the scrotum, looking for any lumps on the skin or swellings inside.
* cradle the whole scrotum and testicles in the palm of your hand and feel the difference between the testicles. One is almost always larger and lying lower. This is completely normal.
* examine each testicle in turn, and then compare them with each other. Use both hands and gently roll each testicle between thumb and forefinger.
* Check for any lumps or swellings as both testicles should be smooth except where the duct that carries sperm to the penis, the epididymis, runs. This lies along the top and back of the testicle and normally feels bumpy.
Testicular cancer represents only 1 per cent of all cancers in men, but it is the single biggest cause of cancer-related deaths in men aged 15 to 35 years in the UK.
Currently, about 1500 men a year (around 1 in 400) develop the disease in the UK. Unfortunately, the number of UK cases has trebled in the past 25 years and is still rising.
Although testicular cancer is rare, it is not at all uncommon to find a lump in your testicles. There are many conditions that can be easily confused with testicular cancer, and most of them are not anything like as serious.
Facts
* Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men between the ages of 20 and 34. There are about 7500 new cases yearly, with approximately 350 deaths per year in the US.
* Testicular cancer is more common in white men than black or Asian.
* Although it accounts for only about 1 percent of all cancers in men, it is the number one cancer killer among men in their 20's and 30's.
* Most testicular cancers are self-discovered by patients as a painless or uncomfortable lump in the testicle. About 1-3% of testicular neoplasms are bilateral.
* Pure seminomas constitute roughly 40% of all testicular cancer cases. Forty percent of the testicular cancers have mixture of histology.
* The cancer risk for boys with a history of undescended testicles is about 10-40 times higher than normal individuals. The risk of developing the disease was estimated at 1 out of 20 for a testis retained in the abdomen and 1 out of 80 if it was within the inguinal canal. The risk remains elevated after surgical correction. Both testis are at higher risk, not just the undescended one.
* If found early, testicular cancer is almost always curable.
* Early stage testicular cancer can be treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Late stage testicular cancer can be treated with the combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
* The prognosis for men with testicular cancer is very good, even with late stage disease. The chances of recovery are excellent with surgery and radiotherapy for early stage disease. Combined modality is used for treatment of late stage disease with good results.
* More than 90% of testicular cancer patients are cured by their initial treatment, and many of those who have recurrent disease can also be cured with chemotherapy or radiation.