Testicular Cancer - FAQ

SUPPORTING Know Your Nuts MALE HEALTH AWARENESS J0 Questions on Testicular Cancer Commonly Asked MONTH Remember, keep your eye on the balls lads! Let's play ball What are the main symptoms? If I find a lump, is it cancer? Symptoms con incluser Swoling oralumpina testicle which is usuoly poiniess. Sometimes the swoling may suddenly increase insibe and become paintu Less thon 4% of testiculor lumps are cancerous: that's fewer than 4 inevery 100 A dlloche or poh or heaviness in the scrotum What causes it? The cvact oausos of concer ara not tuly unciorstood however, men witha famly history af testicular How can I prevent it? cancer and thase whohadan undescended testicla os a chid Athough there is noproven way toprevent getting testicular cancer, it's mportant to checkyourself regulorly, so that you notice cry changes in size or shope os ecrly as possble and can seek mecioalattention are more at risk What are 5 the main treatments? Treatment varies depending on the stoge of the concer at first diognosis. Acombination of the following treatments may be needed 6 Is it fatal? Testiculor concer is one of the most treatable types of •Surgery •Ongolng medical survellance • Rodiotherapy • Chemotherapy cancer ond over 95% of men with earty stage tasticular cancer wil be completely cured In more advonced casas, whare the concor has spread outsida the testicles to necrty tissua, you have an 90% chance of being cured. What side effects does the treatment have? Rodiotherapy con couse nousea firedness, dianhoea and changes to you skin. These con often be controled andwill slowly oease How will this affect fertility? 8. atter treatmet Chemotherapy oan couse nousea and vomiting, loweared resistance to infection, fatique and hair loss amongst athers. These symptoms gre trectable ond oftan stopance . Concer treatment con sometimes offect fertity. tis worthtalking to your doctor dout some of the risks to fertity ondoptions to consider Your doctor wil be your treatment is completecd. able to odvise vouonwhen you shoulduse contraception and ovalioble options through spermbanking Can I still have sex? 9. You can stil have sex once you've recovered from surgeryryou feel up toit. s aitficult to predict how concer ond trectment willaffect you and your libido, but be suro to sock support trom specialists and loved ones. 10 What happens now? For holp and support visit: www.macmillan.org.uk WE ARE MACMILLAN. CANCER SUPPORT Share O E Field Fisher Waterhouse