Warning issued for men to look out for the earliest sign of testicular cancer

Men have been warned by doctors to be vigilant for early signs of testicular cancer. The message has been issued as the chance of successful treatment significantly increases with early detection.

Every year, more than 2,400 men are diagnosed with the disease – that’s roughly six per day. When detected in its initial stages, this form of cancer boasts an impressive cure rate of 98 percent, but not all men know the signs, reports the Express.

Professor Karim Fizazi, a tumor specialist from France’s prestigious Gustave Roussy cancer center, said the initial symptom is straightforward to spot. It’s one that every man, young and old, should be able to identify.

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Professor Fizazi said all men should check for lumps while they have a shower. If anything feels wrong, even the smallest of solid lumps, his advice is simple. He said: “Show it to a doctor.”

The advice comes as survival rates where the cancer has spread are still high – at around 90 percent. The NHS says that testicular cancer predominantly afflicts men between the ages of 15 and 49, however, anyone possessing testicles is potentially susceptible.

The symptoms of testicular cancer include:

• a lump or swelling in your testicles
• your testicles getting bigger
• an ache or pain in your testicle or scrotum (the skin that covers the testicles)
• your scrotum feeling heavy, firm or hard

Other potential symptoms can encompass:

• an ache or pain in your back or lower tummy
• losing weight without trying
• a cough
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• a sore or swollen chest

In terms of what causes testicular cancer, it’s not always clear cut. Factors that might increase the chances of getting it include:

• you have or had undescended testicles (when one or both testicles do not drop down into the usual place in the scrotum)
• your brother or father has had testicular cancer
• you’ve had testicular cancer before
• you have or had a condition called hypospadias where the hole that pee and sperm comes out of (urethra) is not at the tip of your penis
• you have HIV or AIDS
• you are from a white British background

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