April is the month to grab life by the balls. Well, at least that's what Canisius College and Roswell Park Cancer Institute are saying.
Canisius and Roswell have teamed up to create the first comprehensive testicular cancer awareness campaign on a Western New York college campus. According to Eileen Herbert of Canisius College, the campaign, called "Check Yo Nutz," promotes testicular self-examination in men between the ages of 15 to 40 "through clear, informative, accurate, relatable and humorous messages."
Testicular cancer is one of the lesser-known cancers that poses a threat to those in the college demographic. It's most often found in men between the ages of 20 and 39 and is the most common cancer seen in men from 15 to 34.
According to Roswell Park, there were 8,400 estimated new cases and 380 deaths from testicular cancer in the United States in 2009.
Testicular cancer is not common; a man's lifetime chance of getting it is about 1 in 300. A small increase in risk still makes the chance of ever getting it low. The risk of dying from this cancer is about 1 in 5,000. More than 95 percent of testicular cancer cases can be cured, especially if it's caught early.
Self-examination plays a big role in surviving testicular cancer and the Check Yo Nutz program aims to help men help themselves when it comes to developing it.
"Almost every man with testicular cancer should be cured of this disease, regardless of how much the cancer had spread when discovered," said Dr. Donald L. Trump, president and CEO of Roswell Park. "Early detection is still very important — detection of testicular cancer at an earlier stage means cure is possible with less aggressive treatment, and that means fewer side effects."
The program will hold events throughout the month of April to raise awareness of the importance of early detection, especially because some of the treatments can cause irreversible damage to the reproductive system, such as infertility. Men who have been diagnosed with testicular cancer should consider freezing their sperm for later use before receiving treatment.
"Early detection directly improves the quality of a patient's life," Trump said.
Beginning at age 15, men should perform a monthly self-examination to see if they can feel any odd growths on their testicles, such as a painless lump or swelling in a testicle, pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum, any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, a dull ache in the lower abdomen, back, or groin, or a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.
If an unusual lump is discovered, they should seek a medical opinion as soon as possible. Testicular cancer is diagnosed through blood tests and ultrasound or a biopsy.
Testicular self-examination is easy to do and works best in the shower, while the scrotum skin is relaxed. First, hold the penis out of the way so each testicle is in view. Next, examine each testicle separately by holding it between both hands with your thumbs and fingers and rolling it gently between your fingers. Look and feel for any hard lumps or changes in color, size and shape.
Events promoting testicular cancer awareness will be held through the end of April on the Canisius College campus, including a "Don't Forget Your Buddies" ice cream social, a "Dodge These Balls, Not Yours" dodge ball tournament, and a "Check Now Luau."
For more information on testicular cancer, self-examination or these events, visit checkyonutz.org.
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