Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer, accounting for just 1% of all cancers that occur in men.
Around 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in the UK.
Testicular cancer is unusual compared with other cancers because it tends to affect younger men. Although it’s relatively uncommon overall, testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and 49.
For reasons that are unclear, white men have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer than men from other ethnic groups. The number of cases of testicular cancer diagnosed each year in the UK has roughly doubled since the mid-1970s. Again, the reasons for this are unclear.
Symptoms of testicular cancer
- Typical symptoms are a painless swelling or lump in 1 of the testicles, or any change in shape or texture of the testicles.
- The swelling or lump can be about the size of a pea, but may be larger.
- Most lumps or swellings in the scrotum are not in the testicle and are not a sign of cancer, but they should never be ignored.
Other symptoms
Testicular cancer can also cause other symptoms, including:
- an increase in the firmness of a testicle
- a difference in appearance between 1 testicle and the other
- a dull ache or sharp pain in your testicles or scrotum, which may come and go
- a feeling of heaviness in your scrotum
For more information about testicular cancer please visit the NHS website
If you have any of these symptoms or are concerned about any other signs, take action and get checked out by your GP.
Source: NHS, 2020 and World Cancer Research Fund, 2019.