The month of April is designated as Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. Testicular cancer often develops in young and middle-aged men; in fact, it is the most common form of cancer among males 20 to 35. They almost all start in the germ cells, those cells that produce sperm. The two main types are seminomas and nonseminomas. The latter tend to grow and spread more quickly.
Evidently, a man’s personal health history can affect his risk of developing testicular cancer. Some of the leading risk factors are having had abnormal development of the testicles, having a family history (especially in a father or brother), and a Caucasian background.
Treatable Disease
There are a number of symptoms of testicular cancer; the first sign is often a bump or lump on a testicle. Swelling in either testicle or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum can also be signs of the disease. Others may include a dull ache in the lower belly or groin, sudden swelling in the scrotum, pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum, and enlargement of the breast tissue. Back pain is another possible symptom, although back pain can be related to another condition.
Fortunately, testicular cancer is highly treatable, even when it spreads to other parts of the body. The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with it is 95%. It depends on the type of testicular cancer a person has and how far it has spread, but most common types of treatment are surgery and chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute estimated that nearly 9,800 men in the U.S. would be diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2024. About 500 were expected to die.
Talk with Your Doctor
Go get checked. Talk with your primary care provider about cancer screenings. Also, if you have a loved one or friend who is suffering from testicular cancer, consider organizing an event or fundraiser to help attack this dreaded disease.
You may also want to consider donating to our Good Samaritan Cancer Fund, which helps patients who are struggling to pay for their medication, transportation to appointments, hotel stays for long visits, and other costs.
