When they get together for a beer, chances are guys don’t talk about testicular cancer.
Maybe they should, especially during Testicular Cancer Awareness Month.
Although testicular cancer can affect males of any age, it’s the leading cancer among men under the age of 45. About half of all cases occur in men between the ages of 20 and 34. This year more than 8,700 men and boys will be diagnosed with testicular cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). That’s about one every hour.
Despite the risk, many men are unaware of the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer. When the Testicular Cancer Society surveyed 1,000 Ohio men between the ages of 18 and 34 about whether a parent, doctor, coach, high school teacher, college professor or school nurse had ever spoken to them about testicular cancer, nearly three quarters (72 percent) said they hadn’t.
That lack of awareness can be fatal. Although testicular cancer has a high cure rate when diagnosed at an early stage, it can become fatal when it goes undiagnosed.
Part of the problem, says Dr. Pratish Shah, a radiation oncologist with OHC, is that many patients assume cancer is a disease of older patients. What’s more, because testicular cancer is often painless in its early stages, patients often don’t notice it.
“As with many other malignancies, our best chances of a successful treatment outcome are in patients that are diagnosed with early stages of disease.”
Although there are different types of testicular cancer, a lump on the testicle or swelling is often the first symptom. Some physicians advise their patients to perform a monthly testicular self-exam to detect any changes in their testes. Dr. Shah recommends men ask their doctors if this approach is right for them. Other symptoms may include a dull ache or pain in the groin or even bone pain.
Although there are a few known risk factors associated with testicular cancer, including having an undescended testicle, a family or personal history of testicular cancer, and HIV infection, most men who develop the disease do not have any known risk factors, which is another reason why awareness is so important.
“Testicular cancer most often affects teens and younger men, but can occur at any age,” says Dr. Shah. “Awareness of this risk and early medical attention can help achieve the most successful treatment outcomes and, in many cases, preclude the need for more aggressive treatment.”
