Testicular Self-examination - Procedure and Diagnosis

Procedure and Diagnosis

Men from puberty onwards should examine their testes after a hot shower or bath, when the scrotum is looser, and while standing. They should first examine each testicle separately, feeling for lumps, and then compare them to see whether one is larger than the other. By doing this each month, males will become familiar with what is normal for them.

Their testicles should be examined by a doctor if they notice any of the following:

• a lump in one testicle
• pain or tenderness in the testicles, then, later, in the scrotum, penis, and near the inguinal (groin area) lymph nodes and in the thighs; in distant metastatic illness, in the back or chest (usually pain is seen later in the course of the cancer)
• blood in semen during ejaculation (a small amount once is not necessarily cause for worry and rarely is caused by testicular cancer; when it does occur it may be later in the course of the cancer or may occur if a blood vessel has been injured) or blood in the urine (hematuria, which is nearly always pathological and should be investigated by a doctor in any event)
• build-up of fluid in the scrotum
• a change in the size of one testicle or the relative sizes of the two (but it is normal for one testicle to be (and stay) slightly larger than the other, and for one to hang slightly lower than the other)

Some symptoms of testicular cancer (which is usually painless, however, in the early stages are common to other disorders of the male urinary tract and reproductive organs, which may also need medical attention from a doctor. These include hydrocele testis, a varicocele, a spermatocele, other genitourinary cancers, urinary tract infections or sexually transmitted infections, or testicular torsion. These are all conditions that should be investigated by a doctor; some of these disorders need quick treatment to preserve reproductive and urinary function and one's health and life.