How to detect the symptoms of testicular cancer

Testicular cancer is an uncommon form of cancer that affects the testicles. It is very common in men between the ages of 20 and 34. As with any cancer, it is serious if you suspect you have it and should quickly consult your family doctor. With all cancers, you have the best chance of having it successfully treated if you recognize the symptoms early.

Here are some pointers for recognizing testicular cancer symptoms:

Self examination

It is important that adult males examine their testicles at least once a month. If anything, this is important for determining the normal state of your testicles. Any change in the size or shape should clue the person that there could be testicular cancer symptoms.

One of the testicular cancer symptoms is a lump on the testicle that sources say could be about the size of a pea.

Another one of the symptoms of testicular cancer is even shrinkage of the testicle.

Abdomen pain

There may be a dull aching sensation in the lower abdomen as one of the symptoms of testicular cancer.

Another one of the symptoms of testicular cancer is that when it spreads to the lymph nodes it can cause a backache.

It could be that the cancer cells travel into what is known as the mediastinum. In this case the victim of testicular cancer could suffer from symptoms of chest swelling, breathing difficulties, coughing, and swallowing difficulties.

Lungs

It is very rare for testicular cancer to spread to other parts of the body except for the lungs. But even if you have testicular cancer symptoms in your lungs or chest, you can still get treatment for it.

One of the ways that doctors determine if testicular cancer has spread is to check the lungs. In addition to diagnosing the symptoms of testicular cancer in the lungs, a chest x-ray is taken.

Another method used when diagnosing testicular cancer along with the symptoms is to use ultrasound.

Along with the other testicular cancer symptoms, there can be the presence of specific hormones. Doctors refer to these as markers.

Difficulty urinating

Difficulty urinating is another one of the testicular cancer symptoms.

Additional symptoms of testicular cancer include: testicular pain, a gathering of fluid in the scrotum, and a feeling of heaviness in the testicular area.

It is important to remember that testicular cancer can usually have a very successful treatment if the symptoms are detected early. Even though testicular cancer treatment has a good success chance in the later stages of the disease, you do not want to risk it if you suspect you have symptoms. Get annual checkups from your family doctor and make sure that you check the area yourself on a monthly basis.