FREQUENCY
1. A frequency of checking once a month to catch changes early is a good balance and will ensure you identify change early.
WHERE
2. Testing in a shower or when bathing is a good recommendation. Being unclothed anyway allows you to squeeze into your life a self-test easier.
GENTLE
3. Always soap up first because reducing friction will help glide over skin, increasing sensitivity to changes, and is kinder to your skin.
Lance Armstrong
“So if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it's meant to improve us.”
CHECK INDIVIDUALLY
4. Check each Testicle individually by focusing on one then the other to highlight any difference.
TECHNIQUE
5. Gently roll between your thumb and forefinger, feeling for lumps or bumps. Do not squeeze. Roll.
TUBES
6. Feel up the Epididymis. These tubes are lumpy but should be soft. Notice if one is enlarged or feels hard compared to the opposite side.
Testicular Cancer
The Testicles produce sperm and testosterone. Contained within an extension of the abdomen called the Scrotum, men have two Testicles. They are the organ that defines the male characteristics.
Testicular Cancer develops most frequently in males aged from 15 to 40 years old. Testicular Cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all Cancer, more than 90% if caught early. Consulting a GP is recommended if there is pain and tenderness in the Testicles. Other signs are a build-up of fluid in the Scrotum, a dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin, a change in the size of one of the Testicles or blood in Semen.
Cradle your Scrotum and Testicles in the palm of one hand and feel the difference between the Testicles. One hangs lower; this is entirely normal. Now the significant bit, feeling for any lumps or bumps. Use both hands and gently roll each Testicle between thumb and forefinger. Check for any lumps, bumps or swellings, as both Testicles should be smooth. Note: the Epididymis is a tube that connects each Testicle to the Vas Deferens and is the first part of the road Sperm use to travel, this may feel lumpy, but it is perfectly normal.
AGE < 40
AFFECTS 2%
LUMPS AND BUMPS
7. Visually look for lumps or bumps. Testicles usually are soft and smooth. If you see a lump or bump, probe for pain or tenderness.
SIZE
8. Note changes in size, shape or consistency if cold as Cancer will not adapt to temperature as Testicles and the Scrotum do.
PAIN
9. Feel for pain; testicles touched gently should never elicit pain. Even if no lumps or bumps are present, an examination by a GP will be required.
NHS INFORM
TCN
WIKIPEDIA
