eROI Days Email Agency

So, how do you add humor and potential viral marketing to a campaign surrounding cancer? You launch a site called NoticeYourNuts.com. Apparently, 99% of testicular cancer is treatable if discovered early. I would have never known that if I didn’t get a couple emails from friends to tell me to check out this funny but poignant online video. Here’s my question though: aren’t most guys pretty in tune with their nuts? What I didn’t get from the video is what to look out for - weird growth? something funky? Alright, I’m curious enough now to look it up on www.webmd.com.

How To Prepare

No special preparation is needed before a testicular examination by your health professional. However, for comfort, you should empty your bladder ahead of time. You will be asked to undress and put on a hospital gown.

Testicular self-examination (TSE) is painless and takes only a minute. It is best performed after a bath or shower, when the scrotal muscles are warm and relaxed.

How It Is Done

Testicular examination
The examination may be done initially while you are lying down, then repeated while standing. Your health professional will inspect your abdomen, groin, and genital area (penis, scrotum, testicles). The scrotum and both testicles will be felt (palpated) for their size, weight, texture, and consistency and for physical signs of swelling, lumps, or masses. The absence of one testicle usually indicates an undescended testicle. Shrinking (atrophy) of one or both testicles will also be noted.

If a mass is found in a testicle, your health professional will place a strong light behind the testicle to determine whether light can pass through it (called transillumination). A testicular tumor is too solid for light to pass through it. Also, a testicle with a tumor generally appears heavier than a normal testicle. A palpable mass or swelling caused by a hydrocele will allow light to pass through it. A hydrocele feels like water in a thin plastic bag. The other testicle also will be felt and examined to make sure it does not contain any lumps, masses, or other abnormalities.

Your health professional will also feel the lymph nodes in your groin and along your inner thigh for signs of enlargement.

Testicular self-examination (TSE)
TSE is best performed after a bath or shower, when the scrotal muscles are warm and relaxed. If you do the exam at another time, remove your underwear so that your genitals are exposed.

Stand and place your right leg on an elevated surface about chair height. Then gently feel your scrotal sac until you locate the right testicle. Roll the testicle gently but firmly between your thumb and fingers of both hands, carefully exploring the surface for lumps. The skin over the testicle moves freely, making it easy to feel the entire surface of the testicle. Repeat the procedure for the other side, lifting your left leg and examining your left testicle. Feel the entire surface of both testicles.

How It Feels

A testicular examination by your health professional may cause mild discomfort if your testicles are painful, swollen, or inflamed. Whenever the genital area is touched, there is a possibility your body will react, and you may have an erection. This is a normal response that your health professional is aware of and you do not need to feel embarrassed.

Generally, there is no pain or discomfort associated with a testicular self-examination (TSE) unless a testicle is swollen or tender. A cancerous lump usually is firm to the touch and usually is not tender or painful when pressed.

Risks

There are no risks associated with a testicular examination or testicular self-examination (TSE).

Results

Testicular examination and testicular self-examination (TSE) are two different methods to detect lumps or abnormalities of the testicles.

Testicular examination and testicular self-examination (TSE) Normal: Each testicle should feel firm but not hard, and the surface should be very smooth, without any lumps or bumps. The spongy, tubelike structure (epididymis) may be felt on the top and down the back side of each testicle. One testicle (usually the left) may hang slightly lower than the other, and one testicle may be slightly larger than the other. This difference is usually normal.

No pain or discomfort is experienced during testicular examination or TSE.

Abnormal: A small, hard lump (often about the size of a pea) is felt on the surface of the testicle, or the testicle is swollen or enlarged. If you notice a lump or swelling during TSE, contact your health professional immediately. Do not delay or wait for the lump to go away because it may be an early sign of testicular cancer. Immediate treatment provides the best chance for a cure.

One or both testicles are not felt. If you cannot feel one or both testicles while performing TSE, contact your health professional. This may indicate an undescended testicle.

A soft collection of thin tubes (often referred to as a “bag of worms” or “spaghetti”) is felt above or behind the testicle. This may indicate a varicocele.

Sudden (acute) pain or swelling in the scrotum that is noticed during the testicular examination or TSE may indicate an infection (epididymitis) or blockage of blood flow to the testicle (testicular torsion), either of which require immediate medical evaluation.

A free-floating lump in the scrotum that is not attached to a testicle may be present but is not a cause for concern.

If you cannot feel both testicles in your baby’s scrotum (descended), talk to his doctor.

What Affects the Test

There are no factors that interfere with a testicular examination or testicular self-examination (TSE).

What To Think About

Undescended testicles may be a risk factor for testicular cancer. Parents should check their children or have them checked by a health professional to be sure that both testicles have descended properly before puberty.
Expert recommendations on testicular examinations:
The American Cancer Society recommends that all men between the ages of 15 and 40 have a testicular examination as part of a regular physical examination by their health professional. However, ACS does not recommend regular self-examinations for men who do not have risk factors for testicular cancer.1
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against routine screening for testicular cancer in teen and adult men who have no symptoms of cancer. The USPSTF recommends that men who have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer talk to their health professional about regular screening.2
References

Citations
American Cancer Society (2004). How is testicular cancer found? Overview: Testicular Cancer. Available online: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_3x_How_Is_Testicular_Cancer_Found_41.asp?sitearea=.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2004). Screening for testicular cancer: Recommendation statement. Available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/testicular/testiculrs.htm#clinical.