Checking yourself for testicular cancer - Lloydspharmacy.com Health

Reviewed by Dr Patricia Macnair, GP

Why self-examine?

© Hearst Magazines UK - testicular cancer

It's the most common cancer among men aged 15 to 44 years in the UK.

Things can go wrong with your testicles slowly, quickly or very fast indeed.

A few conditions that affect the testicles are serious, but most are not. So being obsessed or frightened for no good reason is undesirable.

Knowing what your testicles normally feel and look like makes good sense so that changes can be spotted and advice sought quickly if needed. Getting the balance right is the name of the ball game!

Signs to watch out for:

a lump in one testicle
pain and tenderness in either testicle
discharge or pus from the penis
blood in the sperm at ejaculation
a build-up of fluid inside the scrotum
a heavy or dragging feeling in the groin or scrotum
an enlargement of the breasts with or without tenderness
an increase in size of a testicle (one testicle is normally larger then the other but the size and shape should remain more or less the same).

How to check your testicles

Check your testicles monthly in the following manner:

do the self-examination lying in a warm bath or while having a long shower, as this softens the skin of the scrotum (skin sac that holds the testicles), which makes it easier to feel the testicles inside
examine the scrotum, looking for any lumps on the skin or swellings inside
cradle the whole scrotum and testicles in the palm of your hand and feel the difference between the testicles. One is almost always larger and lying lower. This is completely normal
examine each testicle in turn, and then compare them with each other. Use both hands and gently roll each testicle between thumb and forefinger.

Check for any lumps or swellings as both testicles should be smooth except where the duct that carries sperm to the penis, the epididymis, runs. This lies along the top and back of the testicle and normally feels bumpy.

Testicular cancer represents only about 1 per cent of all cancers in men, but its the most common cancer among men aged 15 to 44 years in the UK. There are over 2,000 new cases each year in the UK (2,138 cases were registered in 2008).

Unfortunately, the number of UK cases has trebled in the past 25 years and is still rising. But thanks to new treatments, deaths from testicular cancer have fallen by 80 per cent in the past 40 years and more than 95 per cent can be cured.

Although testicular cancer is rare, it is not at all uncommon to find a lump in your testicles.

Keep in mind that there are many conditions that can be easily confused with testicular cancer, and most of them are not anything like as serious.

If you have performed a self-examination and found a lump, or have another worrying symptom, you are advised to go to your doctor for further examination.

But before you go you might like to read more about testicular lumps and bumps.

Other people also read:

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Choosing a contraceptive: what works and what doesn't?

Testicular lumps and bumps: common conditions that can affect the testicles or scrotum.

Based on a text by Dr Ian Banks, GP

Last updated 27.10.2011

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