Have you seen an ad for boys to do testicular self checks? Has a physician ever told you that boys need to do self checks? Or suggested at what age they should start? No? Me neither.
I know most boys adjust themselves so many times a day it’s like they are doing self checks all the time. Having two boys myself and six nephews one would think our family would know about testicular self examinations. Testicular self exams seems like it should be a common sense thing to do. It’s not! You don’t know what you don’t know.
Monthly testicular self-exams are recommended for males between the ages of 15-55 after a warm shower. The infographic below by miumenshealthfoundation.org shows how to perform a testicular self-examination.
Self-exams are done to learn what is normal to you. Lumps, swelling and pain are all things you are looking for when performing self exams. If any of the above symptoms are present, or anything that is not normal to you, please contact your physician right away. Early detection increases an already impressive 95%, 5-year survival rate if diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Eight years ago, my then 21 year old nephew, Jeremy, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A 3-month swollen and painful testicle turned into testicular cancer that spread into his lymph nodes, requiring two surgeries, and nine weeks of chemotherapy. Treatment progressed rapidly after his initial diagnosis. Jeremy had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and surgery to have a testicle, orchiectomy, removed on Friday. Nine weeks of chemotherapy was not only hard on Jeremy’s body but hard for the whole family. Jeremy’s parents continued to work and try to keep things as normal as possible for my niece who was only 15 years old at the time. Whenever a cancer diagnosis is given to a family, or close friend, everyone wants to find some way to help. For us, living 100+ miles away made it difficult to support the family with everyday activities, but we were able to bring frozen meals to help ease the burden of cooking during this time. I knitted my nephew a “beard” as he lost all of his hair during chemotherapy, just to keep his spirits up, and he wore that beard with pride!
Jeremy then went on to have another surgery to remove the affected lymph nodes, a surgery that was supposed to take four hours, took seven! More lymph nodes were taken than initially expected but surgery was a success! I am happy to report my fun loving , ginger nephew, Jeremy, is cancer FREE, has an amazing beard, and minimal side effects. I share this personal story with you, for not only awareness for testicular cancer, but also to remind you that cancer affects more than just the person diagnosed. It’s our mission here at Comfort Kit Concierge to help lessen that burden for all involved with our comfort kits. We know first hand how helpful these have been for our family and friends.
In 2022, approximately 9,910 males, about 1 in 250, will be diagnosed with testicular cancer with the average age for diagnosis being 33. Early detection is important. Three months can be a long time for some cancers to grow and spread. Fortunately for Jeremy, and our family, he is in the 95% survival rate. Please share with all of your friends and family who have boys and teach the boys to do testicular self exams. We use the saying “Don’t forget to cup the balls” in our family!