Taking just 10 minutes a month to examine your testicles might not only save your own life, but also your loved ones from heartache.
November is men’s cancer month and the focus is mostly on prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa), testicular cancer is one of the common cancers in young men and it is therefore important for young men to begin testicular self-examinations soon after puberty.
The exact cause of testicular cancer is unknown. There are, however, several risk factors linked to testicular cancer. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person’s age or race, cannot be changed. However, having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, mean that a person will get the disease. There is no way to prevent testicular cancer.
Risk factors include:
• Having had an Undescended testicle(s)
• Having had abnormal development of the testicles and/or other organs
• Having a personal history of testicular cancer
• Having a family history of testicular cancer
