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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Healthy Testes
Keely Savoie, 06.14.05
Revised April 2008
The good news is that treatment for testicular cancer is extremely effective, especially when the cancer is detected early. |
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April 1-7 is Testicular Cancer Awareness Week. Testicular cancer — cancer of the testes — is the most common form of cancer among young men.
Testicular Cancer
The testes, or testicles, are the two glands in men that produce sperm. They hang in the scrotum, beneath the penis. Cancer of the testicles is relatively rare, but men between the ages of 15 and 39 are most at risk for it. If detected late or left untreated, testicular cancer can spread to other parts of the body, where it can lead to more serious illness and, in some cases, death. About 400 men die of causes related to testicular cancer each year.
The good news is that treatment for testicular cancer is extremely effective, especially when the cancer is detected early. And detecting testicular cancer is easy if you know what you're looking — or feeling — for.
Get a Grip
Testicular cancer has a number of symptoms — the most common of which is a lump or swelling in a testicle. Lumps caused by testicular cancer are usually about the size of a pea when first detected. One way to detect these lumps is to do a self-exam.
Testicular self exams (TSEs) are an easy way to become familiar with how your testicles look and feel.
TSEs are best done after a warm shower or bath when the tissue in the scrotum is relaxed and hangs loosely. Doing the TSE is quick and easy:
1. Move your penis out of the way and look at your testicles in a mirror. Check for any swelling or bumps. Make sure that each of your testicles is about the same size as the other. It is normal for one to be slightly larger than the other.
2. Hold one testicle with your index and middle fingers underneath and your thumb on top. The testicle is normally oval, smooth, and firm.
- Feel for lumps by rolling it gently between your thumb and fingers. Note any changes in size, shape, or feel.
- Check out the epididymis — a soft, tightly coiled tube in which sperm mature — along the top and back of each testicle. It may feel a little bumpier than the testicle.
- Also feel the spaghetti-like tube called the vas deferens that goes up from the epididymis. It should feel like a smooth cord.
Knowing how all these parts feel will help keep you from confusing them with cancerous lumps.
3. Repeat on the other testicle. Testicles can be somewhat sensitive — take a little TLC with your TSE.
Not all lumps or bumps on or around the testicles are related to cancer, but if you notice one, or notice a difference in your testicles from one month to the next, it's a good idea to have it checked out by your clinician. It's also a good idea to have your testicles examined by a clinician during your regular checkups — even if you haven't felt any lumps or other changes. Remember, the earlier cancer is detected and treated, the easier it is to cure.
Other symptoms of testicular cancer may include
- aches or pains in the back, lower abdomen, or scrotum
- loss of sex drive
- a sensation of heaviness in the scrotum or bloating in the lower abdomen
- tenderness, swelling, or lumps around the nipples
If you have any reason to suspect you might have testicular cancer, your clinician can rule out or diagnose testicular cancer with a manual exam, blood tests, ultrasound, or surgery.
Who's at Risk?
In addition to age, race can influence a man's risk of testicular cancer. White men have the highest rate of testicular cancer, followed by Latino, Asian-American, and Native American men. African American men have a lower rate of testicular cancer.
Other risk factors include
- a family history of testicular cancer
- being HIV-positive
- Klinefelter's syndrome — a genetic condition that causes underdeveloped testicles)
- cryptochidism — a condition where the testicle does not descend into the scrotum on its own
- having already had testicular cancer.
If any of these apply to you, talk to your clinician about how you can reduce your risk of testicular cancer. Treatment for testicular cancer has a very high success rate if the cancer is detected early — that's why it's so important to get to know your testes! |
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