CHAPS - for men's health care
Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is the commonest cancer in young men, roughly from 15 to 50. Fortunately its treatment represents one of the great cancer success stories of the last 25 years and only about 1% of sufferers now die. Nevertheless early detection simplifies treatment.
It may be getting commoner for reasons unclear , but it is definitely related to late or failed descent from the abdominal cavity, where the risk is high. The risk can be reduced by operating early on children with undescended testes to place the testis in the scrotum.
The key to diagnosis and cure is regular self examination. Most cancers develop as a painless lump, so any lump should be checked out. Other features to get advice on are:
- Pain, tenderness, heaviness or a dragging sensation in the scrotum or groin
- A painless swelling of the groin
- one testis becoming larger than the other
Although the vast majority of scrotal and testicular problems are not due to cancer, the message is...