It’s not just Foot-BALLS !

It’s not just Foot–BALLS

This month is the charity ‘Everyman’, male cancer awareness month, a charity which has some of the best scientists in the world doing vital research into prostate and testicular cancer, in an effort to stamp out male cancers.

Let’s face it!  The average guy can be seen with his hands down his trolleys (U.K slang for trousers), more than once a day, so the message is that while you’re down there have a feel!  It could save your life! (PLEASE remember to ensure any self checking down there is at an appropriate time, in an appropriate place, in private!)

A delay of even three months between finding a possible lump and presenting yourself for treatment can have serious consequences as if the disease spreads it will require more aggressive treatment, including extensive programmes of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which render 20 per cent of those suffering from the most dangerous form of testicular cancer infertile.  So if you want ‘Mini Me’s’ running around sometime in the future, don’t muck about!

Two thousand men are diagnosed with testicular cancer every year and those most affected are aged from 15 to 44. Testicular cancer specialist Dr Elizabeth Rapley says that if they catch the disease early, ‘99 per cent of men can be treated successfully’.  It’s important to catch the cancer before it spreads to other parts of the body, which makes it more difficult to treat.

While the prognosis looks good for those who receive treatment early, 70 men still die of testicular cancer each year. The disease is now more widespread than ever and cases have doubled in the past 30 years.

‘We don’t know why, but we have identified three genes that give you an elevated risk of developing testicular cancer,’ says Dr Rapley. ‘There’s an environmental component which must play a part, either occurring while the foetus is still developing or very early in life. Factors that contribute to other cancers such as diet, smoking and drinking are unlikely to contribute to testicular cancer.’

To increase the chances of being a success story, men are advised to check themselves at least once a month for any signs of changes to their testicles. Early symptoms can include a lump or enlargement to the testicle, aches in the groin or a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum. 

A famous SURVIVOR of testicular cancer is the amazing Lance Armstrong.

Hull City goalkeeper Matt Duke was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2008.  ‘I found a lump, told my wife and then told the football club’s doctor. He examined me and booked me in for a scan at the hospital.

‘Judging by the size of the tumour, they said I’d only had it for around three months. Two days after being diagnosed I had an operation to remove the affected testicle. I had an MMR scan which showed the cancer hadn’t spread to other parts of my body and then also had one course of chemotherapy.

‘The chemo wipes your immune system out so I had to stay in the house for ten days as I was vulnerable to infections. After a couple of weeks, I went back to work, started training again and gradually built my health back up.

‘The most stressful thing was finding out I had the tumour. You’re going into the unknown. I remember staying awake the night before the initial appointment but when the treatment started everything went so quickly I didn’t have time to worry.

‘It didn’t have much impact on my career. It was like having an injury – I was off work for about three months in total. The biggest impact was on how I view my life. I don’t get down about day-to-day worries anymore; I accept there are things that are out of my control. I didn’t expect to have cancer at the age of 30 but I did.’

Testicular cancer mainly affects younger men and is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 44.  It is also most common in Caucasians.

Inherited genetic factors are important in testicular cancer. Having a father, brother or son who has had testicular cancer increases the risk of getting the disease. The most significant risk factor is an undescended testicle at birth with ten per cent of patients having a history of this condition.

Testicular cancer is still quite rare, with nearly 2,000 new cases a year in Britain, as opposed to 35,000 cases of prostate cancer.

Since 1975, the incidence of testicular cancer has more than doubled – the reasons for this are not yet known.

So boys (and any mothers, wives, family members or friends reading this) remind those you care about to grab their balls (it is football season after all :) ) and check for any lumps, bumps and abnormalities and if there’s anything you’re worried about, get it checked out straight away.