Publish date: 25 April 2024
A man who was diagnosed with testicular cancer five years after first experiencing a dull ache in his groin is urging men with concerns to see their GP, to be persistent and not to be embarrassed.
Steve, (not his real name), felt well apart from an intermittent dull ache, and following several visits to the GP, he became concerned when he noticed that one testicle felt harder than the other.
Another GP appointment saw him being referred for a scan ‘to put his mind at rest’ but ultimately turned out to be cancer.
Steve, 50, from Wakefield, is speaking out to help raise awareness during April which is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month – an event that also encourages self- examination and raises funds for research.
“I realised something wasn’t right back in 2003 when I experienced a dull ache in my groin, mainly when I was sitting,” he said. “It never stopped me from doing any sort of activity and there were no other symptoms. As I was playing a lot of sports, it just got put down as a strain or muscle pain each time.
“It was the change in my testicle that prompted me to return to the GP and when I was sent for a scan, I thought it was purely routine.”
When Steve received the cancer diagnosis, he was ‘shocked, scared, worried and bewildered,’ fearing for this future and that of his wife and family.
He underwent an orchiectomy - a surgical procedure to remove one or both testicles. Further tests revealed the cancer hadn’t spread and that he would just require regular monitoring and MRI scans.
Steve was allocated a specialist cancer nurse at St James’s Hospital who he describes as fantastic and says she helped him to feel much more positive.
“My nurse was amazing. We had an initial hour-long conversation about the type of cancer I had and the treatment options and success rates and she was with me at all my appointments,” he said.
Steve received the all clear in 2014 and is now keen to raise awareness of testicular cancer.
“Anyone who experiences a symptom of testicular cancer such as a swelling, hardness or lump in the testicle or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum must go to their GP and ask for a scan. Don’t be embarrassed as it’s their job and they’ve seen it all before.
“Not knowing for longer will only make matters worse if it is something, but ruling things out improves your mental state.
“The GP I saw told me on a subsequent visit that since my diagnosis he had sent two more men who he could not feel anything out of order with for scans and they had cancer too.
“If you leave it too long, cancer won’t get better on its own.”
For more information about testicular cancer click here: Testicular cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support
