Testicular Cancer Awareness Month: What You Should Know
By: Kyle Cline, M.D.
Just before he became an All-Star third baseman with the Florida Marlins, Major League Baseball player Mike Lowell became a testicular cancer patient. “I was shocked,” he wrote of the experience. “I never felt any pain or discomfort, and I was only 24 years old.”
Lowell’s statement captures two of the key characteristics of testicular cancer: It doesn’t always present painful symptoms, and it most often develops in young men.
These factors, along with testicular cancer’s rarity, make for a condition that can be misunderstood. While just one in every 250 men are diagnosed annually, the average age of those men is just 33.
Luckily for Lowell and most men, testicular cancer treatments are highly effective. Research by the American Cancer Society estimates 95% to 99% of cases are curable when caught early. Just one in 5,000 men die from the disease.
Treatment starts with detection, and April is a good time to learn how to do that. April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, part of a campaign to promote regular self-examinations and understanding of the disease.
What Distinguishes Testicular Cancer, and its 2 Common Types
If you are younger than 45, you should first understand this about testicular cancer: Despite its rarity, it is the leading cancer in males aged 15 to 44.
Your anatomy explains why.
Cancer occurs when abnormal cells in your body begin to divide and grow uncontrollably, forming an invasive tumor. In testicular cancer, that abnormal activity almost always occurs in the cells that make sperm, which are called germ cells. Because men make more sperm when they are young, these germ cells are highly active and therefore more prone to abnormalities.
Germ cell cancers account for more than 90% of testicular cancers. There are two main types:
Seminoma – A slower-growing and therefore less aggressive type of cancer that develops mainly in men ages 25 to 45. A doctor can diagnose the disease with a blood test that measures a cancer-marking protein seminomas tend to raise, called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).
Non-seminoma – A faster-growing testicular cancer that tends to occur in males from the late teens to early 30s. Typically, this germ cell tumor forms from a mix of four cell types, and most of these cell types make proteins that can be measured in a blood test.
Age Aside, Are You at Higher Risk for Testicular Cancer?
It’s unclear what causes germ cells to act abnormally and form into testicular cancer, but certain health conditions and other factors might increase your risk of developing the disease. These include:
- Disorders that disrupt testicle development, including Klinefelter syndrome, a hormonal condition that reduces testosterone production.
- An undescended testicle or testicles.
- Family history of the disease.
- If you’ve already had testicular cancer.
- An HIV infection, especially if it has progressed into AIDS.
Is This Testicular Cancer? Common Symptoms You Should Learn
Mike Lowell’s early diagnosis of testicular cancer underscores the importance of recognizing the symptoms at a young age. Even if you’re not at high risk, all men should know the signs of testicular cancer – especially those between the ages of 15 and 45.
These symptoms include:
- Pain in the testicle (although not in all cases)
- A lump or swelling in the teste (may be painless)
- A testicle that is enlarged or feels different
- A dull ache in the lower back and abdomen (usually if the cancer has spread)
You can look for these symptoms yourself, through a monthly self-examination.
5 Steps that Can Save Your Life: The Testicular Self-Exam
Here’s your self-exam incentive: When caught during Stage 1, testicular cancer can be cured up to 99% of the time. Yet more than 33% of men have never self-examined their testicles, some studies report.
Don’t be among them. Plan your monthly self-exams today. They don’t take but a few minutes and can be conveniently performed when you’re fresh out of the shower, when the scrotum is relaxed. Here are the steps:
- Hold one testicle at a time, using both hands.
- With light force, roll the testicle between your thumbs and fingers.
- Feel for tube-like cords above and behind the testicle. These are your vas deferens and epididymis, which collect and carry sperm. They’re normal.
- Next, feel and look for differences in size, shape, or texture, including lumps. Don’t worry if one testicle is slightly larger than the other; that’s normal.
- Move to the next testicle and repeat these steps.
Perform this exercise the same day once a month, being alert to any changes.
Testicular Cancer Prognosis: What to Expect
Mike Lowell returned to the Marlins just three months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Fully recovered, he continued his Major League Baseball career for 12 more seasons, during which he played in two winning World Series championships.
You might not be an athlete, but you have equal chances of recovery if you recognize the symptoms of testicular cancer early and get examined immediately. Be prepared to provide your doctor with your medical history and to give a blood sample for analysis, as well as undergo imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, and/or ultrasound.
In most cases the cancer is removed through a small surgical incision in the groin. After surgery, you might need to undergo radiation (depending on the type) and/or chemotherapy (for more advanced cancer).
If you are treated for early-stage testicular cancer, post-surgery care might only involve surveillance through regular exams.
You can look forward to a good life after testicular cancer. A testicle prosthesis can restore a natural look, and your remaining testicle should be able to produce enough testosterone for a healthy sex drive. (Medication can help if you experience potential hormonal changes.)
Help Clear the Confusion: Raise Testicular Cancer Awareness
It’s likely most young men diagnosed with testicular cancer experience shock, as Lowell had. This is your opportunity to reduce those chances. In addition to performing regular self-exams, ask friends and family members if they are doing the same.
If you encourage just one man to perform his own regular exams, it’s a home run.
Visit our Men’s Health web page to learn which men’s conditions we treat and the services we offer. Request an appointment with an Advanced Urology Institute specialist near you.