Testicular Cancer
What is Cancer?
The body is made up from millions of cells that are constantly dying and being replaced. Normally, cells divide in an orderly and controlled way. Cancer occurs when a cell divides and multiplies too rapidly. This produces a lump of abnormal cells known as a tumour. Tumours are either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). There are 200 different types of cancer and early detection can greatly increase the chances for successful treatment.
What is Testicular Cancer?
The body is made up from millions of cells that are constantly dying and being replaced. Normally, cells divide in an orderly and controlled way. Cancer occurs when a cell divides and multiplies too rapidly. This produces a lump of abnormal cells known as a tumour. Tumours are either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). There are 200 different types of cancer and early detection can greatly increase the chances for successful treatment.
Testicular cancer is a growth or tumour, which appears in one of the testicles (which are commonly known as ‘balls’). The testicles are the male reproductive organs, contained within a bag of skin called the scrotum, that hang below the penis.
What is Testicular Cancer?
What causes testicular cancer?
We don’t yet know what causes testicular cancer, but we do know that men who were born with an undescended or partly descended testicle are more likely to develop testicular cancer. Your risk is also increased if you are a white male and if there is a history of testicular cancer in the family.
What causes Testicular Cancer
Is testicular cancer curable?
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged between 15 and 49 years. There are approximately 60 men diagnosed with testicular cancer per year in Northern Ireland.
If diagnosed at an early stage, testicular cancer can be easily treated and is nearly always curable. More than 50% of men consult their doctors after the cancer has started to spread making it more difficult to treat successfully. A simple regular check – testicular self examination (TSE) – could help you to detect the early signs of the disease.
Is Testicular Cancer curable?
What is TSE?
TSE involves the routine examination of the testicles. It will help you to know what is normal for you and enable you to detect any changes early on. It should be performed regularly, at least once a month, ideally in a bath or shower when the muscle in the scrotal sac is more relaxed. If you have a partner you could ask them to help with the examination.
What is TSE?
How to carry out TSE
- Support the testicles and scrotum in the palm of the hand. It is common to have one testicle slightly larger than the other, or which hangs lower than the other.
- If one feels heavier than the other this could indicate something is wrong.
- Gently examine each testicle in turn. Using both hands, roll each testicle between the thumb and fingers.
- You should feel a soft tube at the top and back of the testicle. This irregular sausage-like structure is called the epididymis which stores and transports sperm. This is often confused as something abnormal however; it is a normal part of a man’s anatomy.
- Feel the testicle itself – it should be smooth with no lumps or swellings.
Check for:
- Small lumps or hardness
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- A sensation of dragging or heaviness in the scrotum
- A dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin.
How to carry out TSE
What if I notice a change?
Most lumps are benign (non cancerous) but a few will be cancerous and should be treated immediately. Only a doctor can tell you which should be investigated further
What if I notice a change?
What if it is cancer?
If an abnormality is found you may be referred for further investigation. If these tests show that it is cancer the affected testicle may be removed and other treatments recommended.
What if it is cancer?
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