Lit Men and thosw who care about them

[redpaint]

Check yourslef out.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=r_nK1CEo5ho

WHAT IS TESTICULAR CANCER​

Testicular cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in one or both of a man's testicles. While rare, it is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 40. Each year, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 new cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed in the U.S., and approximately 400 men die.

Cancer develops when cells begin to grow out of control. As these abnormal cells rapidly grow and develop, they invade and destroy healthy tissues and organs in the body.

Young men most at risk.
Testicular cancer most often affects men between the ages of 15 and 39. However, men of any age, including infants and the elderly can develop testicular cancer.

A growing problem.
The incidence (the number of new cases diagnosed per year) of testicular cancer in white men in the U.S. has doubled over the last two decades. The cause of the increase is not known.

Highly treatable, especially when caught early.
Testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate is approximately 95%. However, the complexity of treating the disease greatly increases and the survival rate declines as the disease progresses. Unfortunately, half of all men diagnosed with testicular cancer do not seek medical attention until after the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.

 

[bailadora]

Good info, Redpaint

I know my husband doesn't check himself near as often as he should. He just doesn't think about it. I think I'll make him a deal. I get to check his boys and he gets to check my girls. I don't think he'd turn down an offer like that....

Seriously folks - this doesn't take all that long. Just do it already...*nods* I've lost too many loved ones to cancer.

 

[redpaint]

I know my husband doesn't check himself near as often as he should. He just doesn't think about it. I think I'll make him a deal. I get to check his boys and he gets to check my girls. I don't think he'd turn down an offer like that....

Seriously folks - this doesn't take all that long. Just do it already...*nods* I've lost too many loved ones to cancer.

I like the sound of that deal. Now I wonder if I cold just my wife to go for that deal?

 

[Handley_Page]

There's anotrher cancer that's worse, in that it'sus ually too late to do something and that's Prostate cancer. It affects older men.
The good news is that there's a simple test for it that works most of the time.
If you are over 50, see your doctor and get it checked.

 

[redpaint]

There's anotrher cancer that's worse, in that it'sus ually too late to do something and that's Prostate cancer. It affects older men.
The good news is that there's a simple test for it that works most of the time.
If you are over 50, see your doctor and get it checked.

That is a very good point and one I was hoping that would come up too. In a couple of months I will turn 50 and have been doing quit a bit of thinking this. After losing so many friends and family to cancer over the years. I hate to see people not doing something when it is just so easy to find out and take care of it if you would have it.

 

[bailadora]

I like the sound of that deal. Now I wonder if I cold just my wife to go for that deal?

What's not to like?

Re, prostrate cancer. Yep - get that checked too, guys. I know some of you shudder (and not in a good way) at the thought of getting "the finger" and all of that, but when you think about it - you don't have it nearly as bad as us gals. We have to get yearly PAPs AND mammograms after a certain point. It's a small price to pay for helping to ensure your health.

PS- Please DO get all of that checked. I have an uncle who is in Stage 4 of prostrate cancer. It's NOT pretty.

 

[Username_In_Use]

Sorry, living with horrible dial-up and youtube videos are slightly out of my range, but overall is checking for testicular cancer the same procedure as checking for breast lumps?

 

[bailadora]

Sorry, living with horrible dial-up and youtube videos are slightly out of my range, but overall is checking for testicular cancer the same procedure as checking for breast lumps?

Well, it's the same basic idea, but the technique is different, kwim? From Web MD:

How to Do a Testicular Self-Examination

The best time to examine testicles is during or after a shower or bath. The warm water allows the scrotum to relax and the testicles to drop down. The left testicle normally hangs a bit lower than the right. It is common for one testicle to be larger than the other one.

Young men should examine themselves once a month. More frequent exams actually may result in missing a slowly changing lump.

How to conduct a testicular self-exam

* Support each testicle with one hand and examine it with the other.

* Gently roll each testicle between the thumb and fingers. Testicles should feel firm and smooth, about the consistency of a hard-boiled egg without the shell.

* The epididymis is a ropelike structure attached to the back of the testis. This structure is not an abnormal lump

* Feel for firm masses, lumps, or nodules in the testicle. In cancer, these lumps often are painless.

* Become familiar with normal size, shape, and weight of each testicle and epididymis. This will help you recognize a change from one self-examination to another, if a change should occur.

 

[infinity706]

What's not to like?

Re, prostrate cancer. Yep - get that checked too, guys. I know some of you shudder (and not in a good way) at the thought of getting "the finger" and all of that, but when you think about it - you don't have it nearly as bad as us gals. We have to get yearly PAPs AND mammograms after a certain point. It's a small price to pay for helping to ensure your health.

PS- Please DO get all of that checked. I have an uncle who is in Stage 4 of prostrate cancer. It's NOT pretty.

The finger? I have to settle for only one?

 

[redpaint]

Sorry, living with horrible dial-up and youtube videos are slightly out of my range, but overall is checking for testicular cancer the same procedure as checking for breast lumps?

Sorry about posting the Video. I forget there are still dail-up out there. Was not all that long ago I was one myself. The Video was only a funny freindly reminder to tell you to check yourself.

 

[bailadora]

The finger? I have to settle for only one?

From the doc, probably so. From your playmates...well, that's up to ya'll.

 

[Username_In_Use]

Oh huh nevermind then, I already do that. Thanks though.

 

[MaleSlut47]

Red Paint
For all us men at LIT thanks for your concern !! I will get checked myself

 

[SweetErika]

I know my husband doesn't check himself near as often as he should. He just doesn't think about it. I think I'll make him a deal. I get to check his boys and he gets to check my girls. I don't think he'd turn down an offer like that....

This is what we do. We both tend to forget, so we check each other. It makes it more fun and easier to remember.

That is a very good point and one I was hoping that would come up too. In a couple of months I will turn 50 and have been doing quit a bit of thinking this. After losing so many friends and family to cancer over the years. I hate to see people not doing something when it is just so easy to find out and take care of it if you would have it.

Be sure to get checked for colon cancer as well. When detected and treated early, the survival rate is very, very high. Colon cancer has an exceedingly low survival rate when detected later, however, so it's extremely important to get colonoscopies, yearly check-ups and talk to your doc about any digestive changes.

My mother-in-law was a nurse. She started having constipation, diarrhea, and losing weight. She knew something was wrong, but didn't tell her husband or see a doc, and by the time they caught the colon cancer, she only had a 15% chance of surviving 5 years. She made it 18 months with surgery, chemo and a new, tumor-shrinking drug. She died completely yellow from jaundice (it had spread to her liver), unable to breathe well (spread to the chest and lungs), vomiting blood and in untreatable pain. Really, really awful (Hubby and I still have nightmares 4 years later). She was 56.

My stepmother died a couple of weeks ago from colon cancer, too. She had survived cancer over a decade ago, and didn't want to know if it came back, so while she did see her doctor and do a lot of naturopathic medicine, they didn't catch this occurrence until it was too far along. She was 59 and also lived her last years and died in a lot of pain.

Stool samples, exams and colonoscopies aren't fun, but they're a hell of a lot better than fighting colon cancer and dying in that kind of pain. I think the standard for getting checked is 40-45 if you have a family history or other high-risk factors, and 50 otherwise.


Info on preventing colorectal cancer. Diet, exercise and schedule are huge factors that you can control.

 

[TBKahuna123]

One more thing about testicular cancer guys, don't think you are too young to worry about it! About 18 months ago, I found a lump on one of my testicles, quite by acident. I wasn't checking, but while taking a shower I noticed something different. I gotta be honest, it scared the shit out of me. I called the doctor and within 3 hours I had an appointment. I was so scared that I didn't even blush when the gal on the phone asked the problem. As soon as I said lump on my testicle, the next thing I heard was, how soon can you get here?

It was kind of a strange position, so the doc couldn't tell oen way or the other just by an exam. We had to do ultra sound tests and such, and it took days to get the results back. Those were some of the most stressful days of my life. When they called me and said it was nothing major, I thought I'd won the lottery!

It doesn't take much to give yourself a quick test, in fact most of us do it for fun and don't even know it. Now I don't think you could do a home test for prostate cancer, unless you have gorilla arms, so get an exam from someone you love.