Testicular Cancer – Do You Check?
June 15, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Men's Health
Men’s Health Week starts today with a reality check on testicular cancer. Do you check yourself?
Most people think of 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong when they hear of testicular cancer. And, while the cyclist is the best known face of the disease, it is increasing in incidence, especially among younger men. It’s the most common solid tumor found in men in their late twenties and early thirties.
Other well-known men who had testicular cancer:
- Comedian Tom Green
- Runner Steve Scott
- Newsman Bob Losure
- Football player Brian Piccolo
- Football player Dan Turk
- Football player Josh Bidwell
- Football player Louie Aguiar
- Baseball player John Kruk
- Baseball player Mike Lowell
- Golfer Todd Barranger
- Guitarist Peter DiStefano
As you can see, it touches all walks of life.
Just as women do breast self examinations, men should do testicular self examinations. Here is some information at Lance Armstrong’s site and at this one: how to do the self examination.
While doctors don’t really know the risk factors involved in developing testicular cancer, some links are being found. For example:
| Marijuana Use Linked to Nonseminoma Testicular Tumors (4/14/2009) |
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| • | Infertile Men at Higher Risk for Testicular Cancer (2/24/2009) |
| • | Marijuana May Raise Testicular Cancer Risk: Study |
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Ladies, if you have a brother, boyfriend, husband, or cousin ask them if they check down there. It really is important. I am the author of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s and have talked to plenty of young men with testicular cancer. It is more common than you think, and we talk so little about it.
Kairol
blog -http://everythingchangesbook.com/