A Young Man’s Guide to Testicular Cancer, and Its Symptoms
Testicular cancer is uncommon, but it is the most common cancer affecting young men. The typical patient is diagnosed around age 33—often during the busiest years of work, family life, and personal growth.
April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, dedicated to educating men and women on this often misunderstood disease.
It’s misunderstood because testicular cancer is uncommon; it is diagnosed in just one of every 250 men, according to the American Cancer Society. However, most cases are diagnosed in men younger than 45, with the average age being 33. It is in fact the leading cancer in males from age 15 to 44.
Testicular cancer tends to develop at a young age because it occurs in the reproductive cells that make sperm, which the testes more actively produce when men are young. More cell activity increases the risk of abnormality.
However, thanks to advancements in treatment, testicular cancer survival rates are promising: Just one in 5,000 men die from the disease, making it better than 95% curable when caught early. But to outrun the disease, men need to recognize the symptoms and seek care.
A good way to start is by treating the testicles like other parts of the body that require regular attention, such as your skin and teeth. This attention comes in the form of self-exams.
How Testicular Cancer Develops and its 2 Types
Cancer occurs when the cells begin to reproduce abnormally and grow out of control, eventually forming an invasive tumor. With testicular cancer, more than 90% of such abnormalities occur in the germ cells, or the cells that make sperm, the American Cancer Society estimates.
Germ cell cancer develops in two main types:
Seminomas – This is a slower-growing type of cancer and develops mainly in men ages 25 to 45. It also is the form of cancer that is increasing the most. It is sometimes detected with a blood test that measures the level of a protein seminomas tend to raise, called beta human chorionic gonadotropin (b-HCG), which serves as a cancer marker.
Non-seminomas – This faster-growing type of testicular cancer typically occurs in males in their late teens to early 30s. It is formed from four types of cancer cells, with most non-seminomas being a mix of all four and sometimes even seminoma cells. Most of these tumors make cancer-marking proteins that can be detected in a blood test.
Be Aware of These Testicular Cancer Symptoms
Many men in their 30s or younger might ignore the common signs of testicular cancer because they are busy with families and careers and feel otherwise healthy. Don’t put such symptoms off: Testicular cancers that are diagnosed at Stage 1, when confined to the testicle, have a better than 99% cure rate.
If you experience any of the following signs of testicular cancer, you should quickly schedule a urology exam:
- A testicle that is enlarged, has changed shape, or just feels different.
- A painless lump in the testicle.
- A dull ache in the groin or scrotum.
- Swelling or a heavy feeling in the scrotum.
- Lower back and abdominal pain (in cases where the cancer has spread).
You can detect some of these symptoms yourself through regular self-examinations.
How to Perform a Testicle Self Examination
Most males should begin self-examining their testicles by the age 20 or even earlier, yet one study reports that more than one-third of men have never performed one, and 20% of those who did, performed one just once a year.
This is your chance to be a curve-buster. Begin by scheduling your monthly self-exams, which can be completed easily in just a minute or two after taking a shower or bath, when the scrotum is relaxed. The goal of a self-exam is not to search for problems, but to become familiar with what is normal for your body, so you can quickly notice changes.
It takes just five fast steps:
- Hold one testicle using both hands.
- Using a little pressure, examine the testicle by rolling it between your thumbs and fingers.
- Familiarize yourself with your anatomy, including the tubes and cords that connect above and in the back of the testicles (the vas deferens and epididymis).
- Look and feel for lumps as well as changes in shape, texture, or size. If one testicle is slightly larger than the other, that’s normal.
- Rinse and repeat with the other testicle.
Testicular Cancer Is Not Your Fault: Risk Factors
The cause of testicular cancer is unknown, and many men diagnosed do not present risk factors. That said, some conditions that are beyond your control might raise the odds of it developing. These conditions include:
- An undescended testicle or testicles.
- Abnormal testicular development.
- An HIV infection, particularly if it has developed into AIDS.
- Klinefelter syndrome, an inherited chromosomal condition that typically results in low testosterone production.
- A family history of the disease.
How Testicular Cancer is Treated
Should you recognize concerning symptoms of testicular cancer, request an exam from a urologist. There, you will likely give a blood sample for analysis and undergo imaging tests including a CT scan, and/or ultrasound.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, know that several unique factors make testicular cancer highly receptive to treatment. For starters, the cancer markers enable more precise treatment monitoring, and the tumors are very sensitive to chemotherapy. Further, innovations in treatment continue to advance.
That treatment, in nearly all cases of testicular cancer, requires removing the affected testicle through a small incision in the groin. Follow-up care might be limited to surveillance (for early-stage cancers) or include chemotherapy and/or targeted radiation in advanced cancers and specific cancer types.
A testicle prosthesis can restore a natural look, and medication can manage potential hormonal-related changes in sex drive and function, although one testicle should produce enough testosterone to maintain a healthy sex drive.
Because testicular cancer often affects younger men, fertility can be an important concern. Many men are still able to father children after treatment, but doctors may recommend sperm banking before chemotherapy or additional surgery.
Save a Life: Your Own, or Someone Else’s
Many men and women misunderstand testicular cancer. Raising awareness of the symptoms and self-examination will save lives. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, especially when detected early. Becoming familiar with your body and seeking care when something changes can make all the difference.
If you notice a lump, swelling, or any change in your testicles, schedule an evaluation with a urologist
If you’re experiencing symptoms of testicular cancer or recognize any changes in your sexual health, request an appointment to get checked out here. To familiarize yourself with all male urinary conditions we treat, visit our Men’s Health web page
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