Should men fear testicular cancer, damned right they should, and this goes for everyone else in regards to other different types of cancer? Cancer kills end of story, and I can't think of a better reason to be wary of contracting the disease, can you? Having said this there are particular cancers if caught in the early stages can be treated successfully giving people more years to enjoy on this earth. As like we associate breast cancer with women, it is testicular cancer we link to man. Cancer is a disease that will not go away through prayer and no matter how hard you pray that it will - it won't.
If at any time you detect some sort of change or abnormality in or around the genitals you must seek medical attention. It is better to be safe than sorry, and in the case of some cancers sorry was the result.
The biggest majority of testicular cancer patients only became so through sheer accidental findings. If the disease is caught in the early stage of growth it ups the odds of beating the cancer. Today's modern medicine is compensating cancer patients with peace of mind thus allowing them a more positive outlook on life because they see a large percentage of cancer sufferers treated and cured of the disease. You have to careful with cancer and confusion. One common abnormality found in the groin area like an enlarged testicle is often confused with a hernia, and because of this you need to contact your doctor.
Most common cancer found in young men is cancer of the testicles. The egg shaped sex glands in the scrotum that secrete male hormones and produce sperm, are responsible for only 1% of all cancers in men. Facts and figures tell the tale, and they show that testicular cancer is most found in young men aged 15 to 34. With advanced medicine (therapeutic drugs) and today`s society of improved diagnostics along with your co-operation and early detection you can help stop the disease from spreading. If cancer gets out of control and is permitted to spread to vital organs of the body then it makes everything more complicated in trying to save your life. Testicular cancer is curable, as long as it is treated early.
Finding a testicular tumor is scary without doubt but more scary if you do nothing about it and it turns out to be cancer of the testicles. Have your GP examine you to eliminate any other possible causes for genital abnormities like lumps and swollen testicles. While checking yourself and you detect a pea, or egg size lump, or enlarged swollen testicles, a feeling of heaviness or sudden flow of liquid in the scrotum then you need looking at. Other symptoms of cancer of the testicles may include a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin, or a strange tenderness in the breasts.
There are three stages of testicular cancer:
First stage: the cancer is restricted to the testicle.
Second stage: the cancer can spread to retroperitoneal lymph nodes which are situated to the rear of the body below the diaphragm. Simply explained is the muscular wall separating the chest cavity from the abdomen.
Third stage; the disease can spread beyond the lymph nodes to remote places in the body.
Cancer needs to be taken seriously, but sadly some men tend to brush the seriousness of the disease aside. They believe they are the most healthiest and invincible. Not wanting to burst your bubble fella's but cancer doesn't care and in relation to the disease "invincible" you are not. Testicular cancer afflicts approximately 1 in 20,000 of the male species. These figures may have risen since the last check on statistics. On a wide scale, 90% of men receiving treatment for testicular cancer will be cured.
The risks of developing testicular cancer include:
Babies born with undescended testicles
In men with a family history of the disease, it is also twice as common in whites as in Asians, and five times as common in whites as in African-Americans.
You need to start today and do regular testicular self-examinations on yourself. It doesn't take up much of your time to do this as there is not much involved with the procedure that could save your life. Time shouldn't be an issue when it comes down to protecting yourself from something as serious as this. The key to curing testicular cancer is early detection. You have to remember that although testicular cancer can occasionally cause pain this is not to be relied upon as a sign. You could be waiting for pain that won't come but you can bet death will if you hang around. Testicular cancer is usually found through a "painless" lump in the testicle or enlargement of the testicle.
The best time to do a testicular self-examination is when the scrotum is relaxed. You will find it is this after taking a bath or shower. During your personal testing each testicle should be rolled gently between the thumb and fingers using both hands, feeling for hard lumps or disparity in size of the testicles. If you find unusualness call your GP who will determine if it is testicular cancer. Based on his/her expertise as a physician and the examination on your testicles an exact diagnosis can be given. If there is a slight hint of indecisiveness regarding the test an ultrasound will be suggested. If the disease is clarified then it is imminent for surgery to remove the affected testicle. The process is called an orchiectomy, and can be performed in an outpatient setting using a short anesthetic. It involves a small incision made in the groin, and the infected testicle removed along with the spermatic cord that leads down to it. Once surgery is over a CT scan will be arranged in order to assess if the tumor has spread. Body organs the tumor may spread to be the lungs and the lymph nodes within the abdomen.
If the tumor is found to have spread and to what type of tumor it actually is, it may require further treatment. Normally we look towards radiation therapy, chemotherapy or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for this. Surgery involves an abdominal incision made and the affected lymph nodes removed.
Chemotherapy for testicular cancer uses strong influential medications to kill cancer cells in your body. But risk of serious side effects linked with chemotherapy should have you discuss these and their benefits before treatment commences. Chemotherapy side effects are nausea and vomiting but there are medicines to control both, during, or after your treatments.
Chemotherapy affects fast developing cells in your body, which, besides cancer cells, includes blood cells, hair cells, and the cells that line your digestive tract. Other common short-term side effects include hair thinning or hair loss, mouth sores, diarrhea, and possibility of bleeding and infection. Each individual differs and what one man may suffer another may not.
Although a rare issue, testicular cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can suffer from nasty long-term side effects such as high blood pressure, augmented cholesterol levels, and kidney and lung damage, as well as increased risk of secondary cancers including leukemia and melanoma. Remember this is not common, however still to be considered. Raise the issue of your concerns about these when next in a consultation with your GP.
It is not wise to make assumptions on abnormal findings. Don't treat a life and death situation as a guessing game. This takes up to much time of which you haven't got if testicular cancer is the finding you found. Assumptions are not diagnoses.
Hey, i found a lump in my left testicle but really don't want to go to doctors to see about it. I do actually think it's cancer as i do get pains in the places mentioned but i'd rather live my life happily while i can rather than do all the treatment that is required to get rid of cancer. So yeah i'll die but i what i want to know is, at what stage will the cancer get painfull? Will this pain be very hard to cope with? , i'm 20 year old by the way. cheers.
Hey Jay - what's all this that you don't want to see the doctor. You say you would rather live your life happily without all the treatment for ridding cancer. You couldn't possibly be happy with that type of worry on your head. And by the way people with cancer I believe can refuse treatment. I don't think we should be talking on the lines of this until you know for sure. Remember cysts and hernias are also mentioned in the article also which can have men confused.
Jay you may well be worrying over something that is not there. Lumps come and go all over the body - painful and painless. Jay just nip along to your GP to get your lump checked out- To be honest Jay I am more worried about the stress you are experiencing than the actual lump as this could be anything.
Jay you can go and visit a health site online where doctors give live chat assumptions on what they think it is - but they will say that you should still see a doctor. Jay your a 23 year old man with a long life ahead of you. Now go and get this sorted and live it. Please jay I need you to come back and let me know that you have been to the doctor. I forgot to mention and in answer to the question of pain lies in the medication for certain late cancers, and that is"morphine" one of the strongest painkillers. Jay talk to a friend or pick up the phone and voice your concerns to someone in the medical profession who may well be able to advice or suggest a way for you to come forward with your problem without feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
Hi there - everyone who finds a lump will always worry, and ususally there worry was over some simple condition. However you say "should" you be worried - what you "should" be doing is having it checked out to put your mind at rest. Try not to get to worked up because your worry may be unneccsary too - but you won't know till you find out. So please pop along to your GP, and should your lump be a cyst or other he/she can prescribe medication or treatment.
Keep well and come back and let us know how you got on.
» left by Kacy Carr (8 hours 40 minutes ago.) New Comment!
Hi James and in all due respect I have often thought this when I reply to people who have a problem but I have to advise in the best possible way for them to keep safe. However it is people like yourself that I need coming in here and adding these pointers to enlighten others on the importance of taken out some health insurance if possible. I am not really clued up on how health insurance works in other parts of the world but with you bringing this to our attention which is valuable information for other readers will hopefully have people try and do something about getting themself covered in case of an emergency. I understand where your coming from because I dread to think if this were the case in the UK just how many people here wouldn't have heath insurance either.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
tweet this!
