HealthStyle

It will come as no surprise that Testicular cancer affects men; however you may be surprised that it’s one of the biggest killers in young men. The problem with testicular cancer is that there is no known cause. Let’s take a look inside, or perhaps, down below.

NOTE – In this article we are going to call the testicles – balls. You can replace this term by using any word familiar to you, e.g. nuts, rocks, marbles, beans (as in frank & beans) or plain old testicle

Cancer occurs when cells misbehave when they are being reproduced. To reproduce, one cell replicates its genes then divides so that a duplicate cell is formed. It’s sort of like it photocopies the cell and creates two new ones with the same genes as the original.

Sometimes the genes of a cell are damaged during reproduction, and thus this creates mutated genes in the new cells. Other times it’s a carcinogen (cancer forming) in the cells such as those found in tobacco. These mutant cells can rapidly divide and form a tumour which is either benign or malignant. Benign tumours tend to grow slower and stay local, whereas malignant tumours quickly spread and can affect other parts of the body, such as your major organs.

So effectively, testicular cancer is when a tumour is formed in either or both of your balls.

The risk factors

There are a few risk factors to take into consideration. Note that none of these is lifestyle-related.

• Family History
• Age
• Un-descended testicle
• Abnormal development of the testicles

If you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, you will usually have the seminoma or non-seminomar tumour. Seminomas are those that are in older men and grow slower, while the non- seminomas are usually found in young men and can spread rapidly. If diagnosed, the treatments can be full-on such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy and the removal of the affected ball.

Get on the attack

The number one way to prevent testicular cancer is through regular self-checks or a GP examination. Here at HealthStyle we have developed a self-check that is simple, cheap, and only takes a few minutes. We call it the HealthStyle Ball Check. All you need to do is Look, Grab, Roll.

Look – Stand in front of a mirror and look for swelling.
Grab – Grab each nut with your thumb on top, and the middle and index fingers on the underside.
Roll – Roll each nut, feeling for a change in size, lumps, and pain.

Each ball should be smooth, oval-shaped, and somewhat firm. It’s normal for one to be bigger than the other. A regular self-check of your balls could be all it takes. Testicular cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 90% if it’s picked up early!

Always remember that if you’re concerned, go and see your GP.