Why should men check their testicles?

It is common knowledge that a monthly breast self-exam for women is an effective part of early breast cancer detection. For men, starting at age 15, monthly self-exams of the testicles are also an effective way of getting to know this area of your body and thus detecting testicular cancer at an early - and very curable - stage.

How to do a testicular self-exam

The self-exam for testicular cancer is best performed after a warm bath or shower. (Heat relaxes the scrotum, making it easier to spot anything abnormal.)

The Testicular Cancer Resource Center recommends following these steps every month:

• Stand in front of a mirror. Check for any swelling on the scrotal skin.
• Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle with the thumbs placed on top. Roll the testicle gently between the thumbs and fingers - you shouldn't feel any pain when doing the exam. Don't be alarmed if one testicle seems slightly larger than the other, that's normal.
• Find the epididymis, the soft, tubelike structure behind the testicle that collects and carries sperm. If you are familiar with this structure, you won't mistake it for a suspicious lump. Cancerous lumps usually are found on the sides of the testicle but can also show up on the front. Lumps on the epididymis are not cancerous.
• If you find a lump on your testicle, see a doctor, preferably a urologist, right away. The abnormality may not be cancer, it may just be an infection. But if it is testicular cancer, it will spread if it is not stopped by treatment. Waiting and hoping will not fix anything. Please note that free-floating lumps in the scrotum that are not attached in any way to a testicle are not testicular cancer.
• When in doubt, get it checked out - if only for peace of mind!

 Other signs of testicular cancer to keep in mind are:

• Any enlargement of a testicle
• A significant loss of size in one of the testicles
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the lower abdomen or in the groin
• A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
• Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum
• Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts.

We hesitate to mention the following list, since anything out of the ordinary down there should prompt a visit to the doctor, but you should be aware that the following symptoms are not normally signs of testicular cancer:

• A pimple, ingrown hair or rash on the scrotal skin
• A free-floating lump in the scrotum, seemingly unattached to anything
• A lump on the epidiymis or tubes coming from the testicle that kind of feels like a third testicle
• Pain or burning during urination
• Blood in the urine or semen.

Remember, only a doctor can make a positive diagnosis.

For that matter, only a doctor can make a negative diagnosis too. If you think something feels strange, go and see the doctor! Finally, embarrassment is a poor excuse for not having any problem examined by a doctor.

If you think there is something wrong or something has changed, please see your doctor!

Related topics

What is testicular cancer? See Testicular cancer

Testicular Cancer Resource Center
This is a US support organisation with a good amount of quality information on its website www.acor.org/TCRC/

Original material provided by the Testicular Cancer Resource Center. Reproduced with permission, and kindly reviewed by New Zealand urologist Dr Peter Gilling. Edited by everybody, February 2005.