Testicular Cancer Symptoms

Testicular cancer can strike adolescent men as young as age 15, so it is important for both adolescent and adult males be aware of the symptoms of testicular cancer. Man men are under the assumption that a testicle lump is the only sign, however there are quite a few symptoms of the disease. Also, finding a lump in the testicle does not always mean it is cancer. Other conditions do share the same signs and symptoms as testicular cancer.

Testicular Cancer Symptoms

Common symptoms of testicular cancer include:

• painless lump in the testicle or both testicles; less commonly, the lump will cause pain
  
• heaviness, or feeling of swelling in the scrotum
• discomfort or pain in the scrotum
• ache in lower back, pelvis or groin area
• collection of fluid in the scrotum

Other conditions that have similar symptoms include a hydrocele, spermatocele, varicocele, and inguinal hernia.

What To Expect at the Doctor's Visit When You Have Symptoms of Testicular Cancer

A physical exam is the first step in diagnosing testicular cancer. Your doctor will check your scrotum and feel the testicles for lumps, swelling, or tenderness. He may also check your abdomen for lymph node swelling.

Abnormal findings may lead to an ultrasound, which will give the doctor an internal view of testicular lumps. Blood tests may also be ordered to check for specific enzyme and protein levels in the blood. The presence and elevation of them can indicate a testicular tumor.

Diagnostic surgery to remove and biopsy the abnormal tissue is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis. In this procedure the tumor and the testicle are removed. The abnormal tissue is sent to the pathology lab, where it is examined under a microscope to screened for cancer.

_Source

_{American Cancer Society. Do I Have Testicular Cancer?. Early Detection and Prevention. 02 Dec 2008. Accessed 19 July 2010.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_2_3X_Do_I_Have_Testicular_Cancer.asp}