Testicular Cancer

There is of course a serious side to all of this . Here are the simple facts about Testicular Cancer:
It is the most common malignancy in young men between the ages of 20 and 34. There are about 100 new cases In Ireland yearly,resulting in approximately 5 deaths.
Testicular cancer is more common in white men than black or Asian.
Although it accounts for only about 1 percent of all cancers in men, it is the number one cancer killer among men in their 20's and 30's. Generally 5% of sufferers do not survive.
Most testicular cancers are self-discovered by patients as a painless or uncomfortable lump in the testicle. There are however many different signs to watch out for . These include temperature fluctuation , loss of appetite, localised pain, lack of energy , swelling , general sickness , back pain.
Pure seminomas constitute roughly 40% of all testicular cancer cases. Forty percent of the testicular cancers have mixture of histology.
The cancer risk for boys with a history of undescended testicles is about 10-40 times higher than normal individuals. The risk of developing the disease was estimated at 1 out of 20 for a testis retained in the abdomen and 1 out of 80 if it was within the inguinal canal. The risk remains elevated after surgical correction. Both testis are at higher risk, not just the undescended one.
If found early, testicular cancer is almost always curable.
Early stage testicular cancer can be treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Late stage testicular cancer can be treated with the combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
The prognosis for men with testicular cancer is very good, even with late stage disease. The chances of recovery are excellent with surgery and radiotherapy for early stage disease. Combined modality is used for treatment of late stage disease with good results.
More than 90% of testicular cancer patients are cured by their initial treatment, and many of those who have recurrent disease can also be cured with chemotherapy or radiation.
Dont do what I did & ignore all the signs until it was nearly too late. I was secretly sick for 9 months before I had the courage to go to my doctor with the complaint. He sent me to hospital immediately & I was operated on the next day ! I had three tumours removed & needed a full orchiectomy. My macho bravado nearly killed me . If in doubt simply get checked out. If anyone has any questions about this disease that I can help with please give me a shout .