Cells are the basic functional unit of life. They divide themselves normally when new cells are needed, as this is their way of reproduction. But, sometimes, these cells divide unnecessarily and without any order to create a mass of tissues, also known as tumors. However, tumors can be cancerous and noncancerous. But, testicular cancer is a cancerous and harmful tumor that slowly affects you mentally, emotionally, and physically. As a result, the prevention of testicular cancer is important.The testicles are oval sex glands in the skin sac behind the scrotum. And scrotum is located behind the penis. However, this cancer is rare, mostly affecting men aged 15-60.
Cancer is a life-threatening and overwhelming illness that affects your quality of life, and testicular cancer is no less. Also, there is no safe and instant cure for it. Let’s read more to have a better understanding of testicular cancer and discuss how we can do prevention of testicular cancer.
Can We Prevent Testicular Cancer?
According to the experts and their research, there’s no way to prevent testicular cancer. However, doctors recommend regular tests and self-examination techniques to identify cancer at the earliest stages. For the prevention of testicular cancer, know the symptoms and causes, and if you find anything skeptical, reach out to a doctor immediately.
The real question you should ask is, can testicular cancer be cured? Because the good news is that testicular cancer can be cured with the help of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Even if cancer has spread to other parts, doctors can cure it.
Know The Symptoms Of Testicular Cancer
The symptoms of testicular cancer include the following:
- Swollen breasts
- A sudden gathering of fluids in the scrotum.
- Low back pain
- Feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
- A lump in either testicle.
- An enlarged (swollen) testicle.
- A dull ache in the groin or the lower abdomen.
- Feeling heaviness in the scrotum.
Feeling one or two symptoms is normal; it can be due to weakness. But, if you feel more than three symptoms, including the major ones, then you should see a doctor. The major symptom is a lump in the testicles, swollen testicles, pain, and fluid in the scrotum. Also, cancer normally affects one testicle.
Do not ignore these major symptoms for the prevention of testicular cancer, especially if you feel pain, swelling, or lump in any of your testicles or groin area. These symptoms may last for more than two weeks. Do not ignore these major symptoms for the prevention of testicular cancer.
Causes Of Testicular Cancer
According to doctors, testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells come into effect with the cancerous cells. Healthy cells divide, grow and repeat to keep your body functioning normally in a healthy way. But, sometimes, cells develop some abnormalities hampering their growth. Ultimately, the cancerous cells continue to mutate and divide even when the cell division is unnecessary.
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The cells accumulate to form the cancerous tumor, a mass of cancerous tissues. Nearly all testicular cancers begin to form in the germ cells. The cells in these testicles produce immature sperms. But the reason for cells to become abnormal is still unknown.
Apart from the above causes, other risk factors are associated with Testicular cancer.
- Abnormal Testicle Development: Klinefelter syndrome increases your risk of getting testicular cancer. It promotes the growth of abnormal cells to develop in the testicular area.
- Family History: If there is a history of testicular cancer in your family, you are at a high risk of developing one.
- Age: Testicular cancer affects teens from 15 years old, too, particularly men around 35. However, it can happen at any age, from 15 to 60.
- Race: Testicular cancer is typically more common in white men than black men.
- An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism): the testes form in the abdominal area during the development of the fetus, and most times, it descends into a scrotum before birth. Men with testicles that never descended in the first place are at a greater risk of testicular cancer than men with normal testicle development. However, the risk remains high if doctors remove the testicles surgically to relocate the scrotum.
Also, remember that many men with testicular cancer did not have a history of undescended testicles.
What If You Feel Symptoms Of Testicular Cancer?
If you feel symptoms of testicular cancer, don’t panic. Changes often happen in the body; it does mean every change is negative. If the symptoms last more than two weeks, seek medical help immediately for the prevention of testicular cancer. Also, you should get a cancer screening if you have a family history of testicular cancer.
What To Expect If You Visit A Doctor?
Prevention of testicular cancer can be done if you identify the signs at the right time and get a screening immediately. You can avoid surgery and pain if you get treatment right.
Therefore, if you are skeptical and have testicular cancer symptoms, the doctors will ask about the illnesses you had in your past.
Doctors may also ask about your family history and examine your scrotum to see the lumps. You will give your blood and urine sample for necessary tests and screening. Also, doctors will perform an ultrasound of your scrotum to see if you have any lumps.
Treatment Of Testicular Cancer
If doctors find that testicular cancer is present, they will perform surgery to remove the testicle. And, because testicular cancer happens only in one testicle, in most men, removing a testicle does not lead to problems with having sex. Or children. The remaining testicle will continue to produce the sperm and male hormone ( testosterone).
To get a normal appearance, a man may get a testicular prosthesis surgically implanted in the scrotum. It feels and looks like a normal testicle.
Self-Examination For The Prevention Of Testicular Cancer
You can do a monthly self-examination of your scrotum to detect testicular cancer. Such examination technique is essential for men to look for the signs of cancer; eventually, you can do primary prevention of testicular cancer.
- Do the self-examination after a warm bath or shower. The warmth from the water relaxes the skin around the scrotum, making it easy to feel anything abnormal.
- Use both hands to examine your testicles; keep your index and middle finger underneath the testicles and place your thumbs on the top.
- Roll the testicles in between your thumbs and fingers. Note that testicles can be of different sizes.
- As you observe the testicles, you may notice a cord-like structure on the top back side of them. This structure, known as epididymis, stores and transports the sperm. Do not confuse the epididymis with a lump.
- Lumps are peas sized and often painless, but a lump can be somewhat bigger than a pea size. If you notice a lump, you need to see a doctor. Also, examine if there are changes in size and shape. Do a self-examination every month and compare your tests with the recent ones.
- You should also get a physical examination from a doctor once a year. Regular tests and screening are crucial if you have a history of testicular cancer in your family.
After some time, you will know how your testicles feel and be alert to new changes in your body. Consequently, the primary prevention of testicular cancer will become a monthly routine for you.
Conclusion: Importance Of Self Examination And Regular Screening?
Throughout the article, we have persuaded you of one thing, regular self-examination and medical screening. It is the most crucial thing in the prevention of testicular cancer. Without proper examination and screening, you will never know what risk you are living with. Also, most people do not know that cancer is not an uninvited guest. There are always some signs from which you can identify this illness.
But in the daily hustle and bustle, we often ignore the most vital thing, self-care, due to which when someone finds out they have cancer, it is, unfortunately, the 2nd or 3rd stage of the illness. Treatments of cancer are possible, but it requires the doctors to remove the cancerous parts and tumor through surgical methods.
Furthermore, there are other treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy; ultimately, all these procedures are painful and overwhelming. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have major side effects that can destroy the quality of your life. And the worse thing is that there is no certainty if you are permanently cancer-free after going through the treatments.
But with the right prevention of testicular cancer and screening, you can avoid this tragedy from happening. Self-examine yourself monthly and get an annual screening from a certified doctor.
Finally, share this blog with your loved ones and help us spread awareness.
Get Instant Help And Attention From The University Cancer Center
Visit University Cancer Centers for more information on the prevention of testicular cancer. University Cancer Centers is a hospital and university dedicated specifically to treating cancer. We research and develop new methods and technologies and find alternative cancer treatments. Our highly qualified doctors care for each patient and focus on making them feel safe and comfortable.
Also, we offer surgical treatments, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene-targeted therapy, which hits cancer on the root cause. We accept insurance coverage from almost all insurance organizations, so you do not have to pay an extra cost for your treatment. Remember that cancer is tough, but so are you.
We are together on this journey. Schedule an appointment if you have cancer-related queries, and we will ensure that you get instant screening and medical attention for your problems.
