How to Examine Your Testicles for Testicular Cancer

Did you know that performing a monthly testicular examine is one of the best ways to identify the early symptoms of testicular cancer?   Here are some tips you should know when you start examining your testicles.  Both of the testicle eggs, should be similar in size and hanging height. If you think one of them is significantly lower, it is it possibly the result of a long-standing undetected infection, not cancer.

When you are touching the top of the testicle, you’ll will feel the appendage testis – a thin funicle. If you can easily find it, you can just let it go – anything attached to appendage or free lying next to it, almost certainly benign (unfortunately, this cannot be said about the entities associated with the testicle). Inside the appendage there is a tortuous duct, which connects the top of the testicle with a thick sperm duct.

If you find any sign of unusual swelling, odd bumps or other abnormalities that you might be worried about you can conduct a simple diagnostic test. Go into a dark room and place a lamp behind your scrotum and turn it on.  Be very careful not to place the lamp too close to your scrotum because you will burn you nuts.  Then if the light easily passes through it, the tumor, most likely filled with liquid – a symptom typical of harmless hydropsy testicle cyst or seed funicle.  Regardless you should still visit a doctor to have it looked at closer.

Testicular Cancer is a very rare disease and very few testicles have malignant tumors but it is always best to have the doctor carefully examine your testicles and to ensure that any abnormal lumps are tested for possible cancer. Fortunately, an experienced urologist can diagnose the majority of the benign lumps upon closer inspection at their office.

In most cases, the doctor will ask for you to expose the scrotum in order to touch them and make a more detailed examination of testicles. At the very worst case, if they still feel you might have testicular cancer, then the doctor may remove a testicle. In most cases of suspected testicular cancer, the doctors will not perform a biopsy because there is a greater chance in spreading the malignant cells to the other testicle.

A common testicular cancer symptom is a pain and a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum.  In addition, almost all cases of testicles cancer start with a small and painless lump (tumor).

Testicle cancer is a relatively rare cancer and that is the reason why, a large number of people who may be suffering from this cancer do not get to know about it in the initial stages. That is because they have not noticed any sort of cancer symptoms, which might show up the onset of cancer. People are under the impression that cancer symptoms can be detected by continuous  testicular pain in one particular area. And just because, they are not feeling any sort of pain in the testicle region, according to them, QED. They are definitely not suffering from testicular cancer. Nevertheless, it is a known fact that testicular cancer symptoms may not be painful in the initial stages. So, if you are looking for this particular symptom in the initial stages, you might also want to look for other testicular cancer symptoms, which may give you an inkling that you need to see the doctor immediately.

Now, when one is looking for symptoms of testicle cancer if he is a health-conscious person, he is definitely going to know more about TSE. This is known as the testicle self-examination, and you can either do it at home or your doctor is going to do it for you, once you go in for a physical checkup. The testicles are palpated gently to see if there are any tissue swellings, and lumps, which are unaccounted for.

Some of the testicle cancer symptoms, which may show the onset of testicular cancer appear in the form of mild pain in the lower back, and in the groin region. Some people have the tendency of overlooking the symptoms, because they might consider that pain to be lumbago. Nevertheless, if you are 15 years old up to the age of 39, you might want to look at the reasons for this unprecedented lumbago, especially when it is accompanied with a feeling of heaviness in the groin region and under the solar plexus.

Testicular cancer is definitely not life-threatening, if it is caught in the early stages. Nevertheless about 400 people, out of the 8000 people suffering from testicular cancer die annually, just because they have disregarded the symptoms and have attributed the  testicular pain to other reasons. That is when the cancer cells are going to spread to different parts of the body and one is going to get hard put to check the promulgation of such pernicious malignant cells.

So, if you have lumps and swellings in your testicles, accompanied with mild persistent  testicular pain and heaviness in the groin region, you need to go and see your doctor immediately. Apart from that, you would need to talk to him. These symptoms may be accompanied with the size of the testicles changing and liquid filling in the scrotal sac. Your doctor is going to recommend tests and immediate treatment in the shape of chemotherapy/radiation after he has diagnosed your testicle cancer symptoms.

Testicular cancer can hide undetected for years. Usually the first, of potentially many, testicular cancer symptoms start off as a painless little lump (mass) on the testicle itself with a slight bit of swelling, which is one of the earliest signs. This is the first sign of a potential issue. There are some more clearly identifiable signs of testicular cancer, these signs can include:

Common Testicular Cancer Symptoms:

* A Painless lump ( this should not be confused with the epididymis)

* Swelling ( with or without a lump)

* Pain( Heavy aching in lower abdomen)

**Cancer is considered an extreme cause for the symptoms listed above. These symptoms are typically caused by infection or injury but it is extemely important it see a doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your testicles. These other conditions could still be serious enough to require treatment

Some types of testicular cancer can cause symptoms in other parts of the body. Germ Cell Tumors is a very common form of testicular cancer often characterized by the production of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Production of HCG can cause an increase in the size and sensitivity of a man’s breast. Leydig Cell Tumors are a less common type of testicular cancer which affect the cells which normally make the sex hormones. This type of cancer can produce androgen(male) or estrogen(female) hormones.

Testicular Cancer Exam

Typically, the early symptoms of testicular cancer do not have any pain associated with them. Testicular cancer symptoms are subtle and the early detection is critical for successfull treatment. Testicular Cancer, unlike most cancers, is highly treatable in the early stages. Performing a montly self exam will help you detect abnormalities in your testicals.

Testicular Self Examination
TSE or Testicular Self Examination is a highly recommended way for individuals to check for the occurrence of testicular cancer. The self-exam should be performed monthly after shower when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. You could perform this by cupping the testicles and checking for any change in sensation from the normal. Next, you place your index and middle finger at one side of your testicle, with the thumb on top. Gently roll each testicle between your thumb and fingers and check for lumps or masses and changes in size, shape or consistency. Normally, one testicle is bigger than the other and both should be smooth and firm.

Diagnosis
Doctor generally evaluates a man’s overall health condition to find out the cause of the symptom. Doctors may also order physical examination, laboratory and diagnostic tests. This test includes blood test to check for tumor markers, sonogram to show the presence or size of a mass, and Biopsy to determine the presence of cancer.

Treatment
Testicular cancer is a highly curable disease. It can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Surgery is done by removing the affected testicle. It may also involve removal of lymph nodes in the abdomen, and tumors that may have spread to the other parts of the body.
Radiation Therapy is done by using high energy rays to damage and stop the growth of cancer cells. This is generally advisable for men with seminomas. In chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs are administered to patients if a doctor suspect undetected cancer cells still remains in the body. Depending on the patient’s general condition, both treatments may be undertaken as an outpatient.

Management
It is extremely important for affected men to undergo follow up check up to avoid recurrence after testicular cancer treatment. The type and stage of the cancer determines the follow up cancer management procedures the patient will have to undergo. With a great number of patients surviving this disease, like Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, men should not be afraid to seek medical help at the first signs of testicular cancer.