Checking yourself for testicular cancer
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.
If you have performed a self-examination and found a lump, you are advised to go to your doctor for further examination; but before you go you might like to read more about testicular lumps and bumps.
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