Health & Wellbeing Bulletin
Health & Wellbeing Bulletin Testicular cancer Eastgate Road, Tel 1890 700 890 Eastgate Business Park, 021 202 2000 Little Island, Co Cork. E-mail info@layahealthcare.ie Website www.layahealthcare.ie International Men’s Health Week (MHW) always begins on the Monday before Father’s Day and ends on Father’s Day itself. This year, it will run from Monday 9th until Sunday 15th June 2014. Many illnesses that affect men are curable and if detected early can be easily treated. Why not take this year’s MHW as an opportunity to make yourself more aware of men’s health and testicular cancer. How common is Testicular Cancer? Screening Testicular cancer is quite rare, but it is the most common cancer found in young men aged between 15 and 34 years. Each year about 164 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer in Ireland. This number has been growing over the past few years. Checking for testicular cancer when you have no symptoms is called screening. Talk to your GP if you feel you or your family are at risk. Self-check of testicles Types of Testicular Cancer It can help to examine your testicles yourself every month. The best time to do this is after a warm bath or shower, when the skin of your scrotum is relaxed. There are two main types of testicular cancer: seminoma and non-seminoma. •Hold your scrotum in the palms of your hands. •Use your fingers and thumb on both hands to examine your •Seminomas: These usually develop between the ages of 30 and 50. One in every three testicular cancers is a seminoma. Seminomas grow slowly and respond very well to treatment. •Non-seminomas: These develop between the ages of 15 and the early 40s. They tend to grow and spread faster than seminomas. They include teratomas, embryonal cancers and mixed germ-cell tumours. Sometimes a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) can occur in the testicle. This is treated separately as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). testicles. •Gently feel each testicle, one at a time, for any change in size or weight. •The testicle itself should be smooth with no lumps or swellings. •It is normal to feel a soft tube at the top and back of the testicle. •It is common for one testicle to be slightly larger or to hang lower than the other. If you notice any swelling, lump, or experience a different sensation than normal, visit your GP as soon as possible. Symptoms The most common symptoms of Testicular Cancer are: •A painless lump or swelling in a testicle •Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum •An enlarged testicle or a change in the way it feels •A heavy feeling in your scrotum Information gathered from The Irish Cancer Society. For further information on men’s health week 2014 check out http://www.mhfi.org/mhw/about-mhw.html Even though these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than cancer, get them checked by your doctor. Remember most testicular cancers are curable. If they are found early, they can be treated very easily. looking after you always LAYA-BULLETIN069-05/14
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