Comedian Tom Green wasn't laughing when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2000, according to his autobiography "Hollywood Causes Cancer." And ice skater extraordinaire Scott Hamilton went into a spin in 1997 when he was diagnosed at age 38. Thankfully, they survived and have worked to raise awareness of this disease that affects about 8,500 men a year. Most guys are around 33 when diagnosed, but about 7 percent of cases occur in children and teens; only 7 percent occur in men older than 55.
Because it's rare - and over 90 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of testicular cancer will be cured - the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does NOT recommend regular testicular self-exams. But Dr. James McKiernan, urologist in chief at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center recently told BuzzFeed that it's best if guys know what's healthy and what's a warning sign of trouble: Even though you can cure later-stage cases, the more aggressive anti-cancer treatments can take a toll, and he says, "You can really lose out if you have to be treated for a high-stage testicular cancer versus low-stage."
So, fellas, don't get obsessed with it, but take a moment to feel the testes inside your scrotum (the skin surrounding them). They'll feel like a hard-boiled egg. But if there's an area that seems like a hard-boiled egg with a piece of shell still on it - if it's dense and doesn't give when pressed - have the cojones to ask your doctor to take a look too.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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