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Day 11
Give Yourself a Testicular Exam
Today we’re going to examine ourselves. And by ourselves, I mean our balls.
Why, you may be asking, are we examining our bits and pieces today? Well,
testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men between
the ages of 20 and 34. It’s also is the number one cancer killer among men
in this same age group. Who knew that the one thing (okay, two things)
that makes a man a man, can also be the very things that kill you?
The good news is that if detected early, testicular cancer is almost always
curable. But in order to detect cancer, you need to know what to look for
and also how to look for it.
Do I Need Regular Testicular Self-Exams?
Most health professionals recommend all men between the ages of 15 and
40 have regular testicular exams performed by a doctor. This is usually done
once a year at your yearly physical.
If you have a history of testicular cancer in your family or if you had undescended
testicles as a baby, it’s recommended that you perform monthly
self-exams. Studies have shown that male children with a history of undescended
testicles have about 10-40 times higher risk of developing testicular
cancer. And here’s the kicker: both testes are at higher risk, not just the
undescended one. If you don’t know if you had an undescended testicle, ask
your parents.
The American Cancer Society doesn’t recommend that men who have
no risk of testicular cancer perform regular monthly self-exams. But even
if you aren’t at a high risk for testicular cancer, it doesn’t hurt to examine