The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Testicular cancer: recognize symptoms, signs and warning signals in good time

2023-02-04T12:18:56.699Z


Testicular cancer commonly affects young men. The good news first: If the symptoms are recognized in time, successful treatment is likely.


Testicular cancer commonly affects young men.

The good news first: If the symptoms are recognized in time, successful treatment is likely.

Bremen – November 19th is International Men's Day.

On this occasion, the concerns of men and boys are to be brought into focus.

This also includes the topic of men's health.

Because what's better than (nice) men?

That's right - healthy men!

In this context, "Movember" was also launched, an Australian initiative that aims to raise awareness of prostate cancer with a little wink or a little mustache (comes from the English

mustache

, mustache, and November = "Movember").

Recognizing symptoms of testicular cancer: Most common type of cancer in young men - competitive athletes affected

There is no such campaign for testicular cancer.

Nevertheless, the disease has recently received a lot of attention, as this year three Bundesliga professionals were affected by the insidious type of cancer.

BVB new signing Sébastien Haller, Marco Richter from Hertha BSC and Timo Baumgartl, defender at capital city competitor Union Berlin, had to be treated for testicular tumors.

The cases show how important it is to recognize the symptoms of testicular cancer early, as reported by

kreiszeitung.de

.

+

Palpation for testicular cancer

© Andreas Poertner/IMAGO

According to a study published in the specialist journal The Lancet

, it is pure coincidence

that it has recently affected competitive athletes from professional football with a noticeable frequency.

No connection could be proven.

However, it is no coincidence that the three athletes caught such young men, as reported by

NDR Info

.

Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in young men.

Testicular cancer mainly affects men between the ages of 20 and 45 – many are “taken from life”

The typical age for developing a malignant testicular tumor is between 20 and 45 years.

But in principle, every man is already at risk of developing the disease from puberty, i.e. from the age of around 14 years.

Sure, a cancer diagnosis is always bad, no matter what time.

But at such a young age, there are often many important life decisions to be made, such as starting a career, family planning, building a house or financial security.

That is why many people are literally "taken from their lives" when they are diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Because if the cancer is so advanced that chemotherapy is necessary, you shouldn't think about simply continuing as before.

Identify symptoms of testicular cancer in good time: tumor doubles within 10 to 30 days

Recognized in time, it does not necessarily have to happen.

Because only when the cancer grows into the surrounding tissue does it get into the blood system and form metastases.

However, speed is of the essence when it comes to testicular cancer because it grows quickly: According to

NDR Radio Visite

, a testicular tumor doubles within 10 to 30 days .

It is therefore all the more important to know the symptoms so that, in case of doubt, you can quickly go to a urological practice, which can then initiate the right treatment immediately.

Because there is also quite good news in connection with testicular cancer: It is easily treatable.

According to the NDR

, more than 90 percent of cases are

cured, since testicular cancer usually develops in so-called germ cells, which are particularly sensitive to chemotherapy.

This makes testicular cancer one of the most treatable types of cancer if caught early.

Left untreated, however, it almost certainly leads to death.

Testicular Cancer First Symptoms: How To Tell You Have Testicular Cancer

The insidious thing about testicular cancer is that it usually does not cause any pain.

But there are some symptoms that point to the disease.

Since there are no mandatory preventive examinations for testicular cancer in Germany and these are not paid for by the health insurance companies, you have to do it yourself to check for possible lumps.

But there are also a few other symptoms that can indicate testicular cancer that you should look out for.

This includes:

  • Heaviness or pulling in the scrotum or groin

  • Swelling or pain in the testicle area

  • Swelling or pain in the breasts

  • occasional blood in the semen (rust-brown discoloration)

  • Back pain (in advanced disease)

(Source:

German Cancer Society

)

It is also worth knowing which physical symptoms or changes cause tumor diseases in general.

This often includes tiredness or declining performance.

Because tumors can of course not only grow in the testicles, but also in other organs and areas of the body and lead to colon cancer or lung cancer.

And here, too, the rule applies: the earlier the cancer is detected, the better.

Prevention is the key to successful treatment of testicular cancer - therefore check regularly

This is best achieved with the right precautions.

According to Deutsche Welle

, around 80 percent of testicular tumors are

discovered by those affected themselves.

That's why the German Society for Urology (DGU)

advises 

 boys and young men between the ages of 14 and 45 to regularly check their testicles for lumps or hard swellings, ideally once a month and preferably in the shower.

You should look out for conspicuous knots and hardening that do not hurt.

Above the testicles, however, are the epididymis, which, according to health editor Ingo Bach from the

Tagesspiegel

, can be felt as a slight bump.

But you shouldn't let that bother you.

The urologist Sönke Tedsen explains in the

NDR

how testicular tumors feel in contrast to healthy tissue: The consistency of the testicles is normally firm and elastic, like the muscles of the ball of the thumb.

Pathological hardening, on the other hand, feels solid like bone or stone and does not hurt.

Bach also recommends regularly examining the size, circumference, and heaviness of the testicles to get a feel for them.

In this way, possible changes and swellings can be better recognized in the future.

The best way to do this is to stand in front of the mirror and take a close look.

If something has actually changed, it is best to go to a urological practice immediately.

There, the ultrasound device is then used to check exactly whether it is a malignant tumor.

Testicular cancer: treatment has no effect on fertility and libido after surgery

If a testicular tumor is actually found, an operation is usually carried out afterwards.

The affected testicle is removed.

However, this has no effect on fertility or libido, as all doctors confirm.

The remaining testicles alone can still produce enough sperm and hormones such as testosterone so that everything runs as before.

So the disease itself has no effect on fertility or lust.

However, for men who want to have children and who have to undergo chemotherapy as part of the testicular cancer treatment, it is recommended to have sperm frozen in advance as a precaution for later artificial insemination.

Chemotherapy can sometimes massively affect sperm production, writes the

NDR

.

There are also prostheses for affected men who are not so comfortable with only having one testicle from now on.

They feel almost exactly like the "original".

Causes of testicular cancer: range of risk factors – cycling is not one of them

There is still no clear knowledge about the causes of testicular cancer.

However, the number of cases has been increasing for decades, as the

NDR

reports.

Environmental toxins with hormone-like effects or dietary habits are suspected as possible triggers of the disease.

According to estimates by the

 Robert Koch Institute 

, the rate of new cases is around 4,200 a year.

So there is still a lot of ambiguity about the causes, but there are a number of risk factors that favor the development of the disease.

These include: family history, congenital undescended testicles or if you have had testicular cancer in the past.

Incidentally, cycling is not a risk factor for testicular cancer, as experts confirm to the

NDR

.

You still have the best possible protection against cancer of any kind if you eat a healthy and balanced diet, which includes avoiding ready meals as much as possible.

You should also stop smoking if possible and drink little or no alcohol.

You should exercise regularly or exercise in the fresh air.

This not only keeps you fit, but also healthy.

This is the best way to prevent cancer, but ideally also to avoid other diseases such as heart attack, diabetes or stroke.

List of rubrics: © Andreas Poertner/IMAGO

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-02-04

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-03-16T04:07:51.683Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.