Walrus, handlebar, connoisseur: moustache season is upon us. Since 2003, five million men (and a few women) around the world have grown a moustache during the month of November to raise funds and awareness of men’s health issues.
While the good work done by the ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sistas’ has expanded to encompass prostate cancer, mental health and suicide prevention, the primary focus of the focus of the Movember foundation remains testicular cancer.
Testicular cancer predominantly affects men between the ages of 15–49, with the majority of sufferers under the age of 35. The testicles are the most important part of the male reproductive system, responsible for both producing sperm and testosterone.For this reason, testicular cancer can affect fertility, health and metabolic function.
There are two main types of testicular cancer which account for around 95% of cases, these are called seminomas and non-seminomas. Both classes of cancer affect germ cells, a type of cell found in the testes that produce sperm. There are also several less common types of testicular cancer which include Leydig cell tumours, Sertoli cell tumours and lymphoma.
Decades of extensive scientific research have revealed several factors can increase your risk of testicular cancer. These are:
- Undescended testicles: Roughly 3–5% of boys are born with their testicles inside their abdomen.When someone is born with this condition, the testicles will usually descended within the firstyear of their life, although this does not always happen. Men with undescended testicles are approximately three times more likely to develop testicular cancer than men whose testicles descend before birth or just after.
- Family history: Having a close relative (i.e. father, brother) with testicular cancer also increases you risk of developing it. Like many other cancers, we now think that several genes play an important role in families where more than one person develops testicular cancer. In fact, if your father had testicular cancer you are about four times more likely to develop testicular cancer.
In many countries, survival rates for testicular cancer are as high as 98%. Crucially, the likelihood of a full recovery is even greater if the cancer is detected at an early stage, so, Movember importantly reminds us of what to look out for.
The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a painless pea-sized lump or swelling in one of the testicles often accompanied by a dull ache or feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. It is important to check your testicles regularly for any lumps or bumps.
The majority of men’s’ testicles are roughly a similar size, though slight differences in size are normal. It is also common for one testicle to hang slightly lower than the other. The testicles should feel smooth, without any lumps or bumps, and firm but not hard. You may feel a soft tube at the back of each testicle, which is called the epididymis.
The early signs of testicular cancer can beeasy to spot. Look out for one or more of the following:
- a hard lump on the front or side of a testicle
- swelling or enlargement of a testicle
- an increase in firmness of a testicle
- pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum (the sac that holds the testicles)
- an unusual difference between one testicle and the other
If you find a lump or swelling, or any of the above signs, it’s important to get it checked by your doctor. There are many different diagnostic tests which they can run to fully understand what the problem may be.
So there you have it, grow a mo for a bro this November and help make testicular cancer a thing of the past.
Check out Movember’s guide on checking your testicles.
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