לא הלעלות

Testicular cancer makes headlines because it strikes young men in the prime of life. Thanks to modern treatments, most men survive testicular cancer. World-class cyclist Lance Armstrong not only survived testicular cancer -- he went on to win the Tour de France seven times!

The biggest key to beating testicular cancer is detecting it early. Simple testicular cancer self-exams can play a part in catching this disease in its earliest stages.

Who Gets Testicular Cancer?
Testicular cancer usually affects men from age 20 to 39. Testicular cancer is uncommon: about 8,250 cases were diagnosed in 2006, with about 370 deaths. This represents only 1 percent of all cancer diagnoses. However, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 34.

Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer
Certain risk factors increase the chances of developing testicular cancer:

Cryptorchidism. In this condition, one or both testicles never fully descend into the scrotum in childhood. The testicle remains in the abdomen or high up in the groin, where it's more prone to developing cancer, for reasons that are not yet understood.
Previous testicular cancer
Family history of testicular cancer
White men get testicular cancer about five times more often than African-American men, for reasons that are not yet understood.
Testicular Cancer: Self-Exams for Screening?
Although common sense suggests routine testicular cancer self-exams should catch it earlier, this has not been definitively established.

"There is no evidence that self-exams detect testicular cancer at an earlier stage," says Durado Brooks, MD, director of colon and prostate cancer prevention programs for the American Cancer Society. Large clinical trials on this issue have simply not been done.

Self-exams also carry risks, Brooks adds, including "increased anxiety, and the risk of undergoing unnecessary medical procedures." For these reasons, the American Cancer Society does not recommend self-exams for testicular cancer detection, says Brooks.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also does not recommend testicular cancer self-exams. At the same time, "we don't state that men should not do self-exams," says Brooks.

Some experts consider testicular cancer self-exams beneficial. "Self-exam is, I think, an important aspect of early detection," according to Joel Sheinfeld, MD, deputy chief of the urology service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Most important, experts say, is to recognize and respond to possible symptoms of testicular cancer. "Men are usually aware there's something wrong," says Lance Pagliaro, MD, a medical oncologist with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. "The problem comes in how the man reacts to it."

Recognizing the Symptoms of Testicular Cancer
Most testicular cancers are discovered by the men who have them. The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a painless mass (lump) in one testicle. Other symptoms to look for:

Testicular discomfort, pain or swelling.
Any change in size or the usual "feel" of the testicle
A sensation of heaviness in the scrotum
Dull aching in the abdomen, back, or groin
If you have any of these symptoms, you should call your doctor immediately.

Testicular Cancer: Delay Can Be Dangerous
Many men delay seeking a doctor's evaluation after first noticing the symptoms of testicular cancer.

"There's often a significant lag time, sometimes a very long time, between the first symptoms and when men come in," says Brooks.

"And that's sad," says Pagliaro, because "their chance of cure is not as good as it could be."

In one study, most men with a delayed diagnosis of testicular cancer gave one of several reasons for the delay:

They were unaware of the symptoms of testicular cancer;
They were afraid that their testicular swelling was due to a sexually transmitted infection, or
They were too embarrassed to seek medical attention.
"These are often teenagers or young men with plenty of other things going on in their lives," adds Pagliaro. "For us, it's about educating them about the possibility [of testicular cancer] and the need to see a doctor immediately" if symptoms are present, he adds.
< Previous Page1 | 2 Next Page > WebMD Feature

Cancer Health Center
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Lung Cancer
Melanoma
Ovarian Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Boards & Blogs
News & Features
Related Videos
Glossary

Recent Health Topics

Other Common Cancers
All Cancer Topics
Bladder Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Leukemia
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Thyroid Cancer
Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer

Common Treatments for Cancer
Biological Therapy
Bone Marrow Transplant
Chemotherapy
Controlling Cancer Pain
Radiation Therapy
Targeted Cancer Therapy

Cancer
Sign up for must-read news and information.

Hot Topics in Cancer18 Questions to Help You Find Dr. Right
Fighting Chemotherapy Nausea
Esophageal Cancer on the Rise
Quiz: What Do You Know About Prostate Cancer?
Life After Cancer: Your Follow-Up Care
Considering Reconstructive Surgery? See This
Information Is Powerful Sign up for the WebMD Cancer Newsletter
Cancer and Exercise
Resting to conserve energy may not be the best remedy for fatigue during radiation therapy.
Bone Marrow Blood Test
Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring leukemia or lymphoma often requires painful bone marrow biopsies - but hopefully not for long.
Surviving Mammograms
WebMD explores what women can do to make getting a mammogram less scary and painful.
Melanoma Diagnostic Test
Imagine waiting a week after a biopsy to see if your cancer has spread. Now you may not have to.
Video Game Technology and Cancer
Radiation therapy for cancer is being taken to a whole new level and it’s using video game technology to get there.
video library >

Cancer Newsletter
Get the latest treatment options.


Physician Directory
Locate a specialist near you.


Drug Search
Search drugs by brand or condition.
First Aid
From allergies to sunburn, we can help.
Symptom Checker
To check symptoms, start here.