TESTICULAR SELF EXAMINATION

Testicular malignancy is the commonest malignancy in the age group of 20-40 years of age group.

It is on of the cancers were cure rate is very high to the tune of 90%.The young age at diagnosis( and hence better performance index),early diagnosis as the tumor presents as swelling in testsis ( whic is an external organ and can be detected by the patient) and lastly it is highly chemo and radiosensitive malignancy giving chance for chemo radiation/radiotherapy / chemotherapy to near eradicate the tumor.

The survival rates are almost to the tune of 100% for organ confined malignancy, and 80 % for metastatic tumors.The chance of getting this malignancy is 1/ 250(0.4%).

With this background it is essential to educate the common people regarding this malignancy so that they present to the doctor early.With the advances in technology field it is not uncommon to see patients presenting with scrotal swelling thinking that its a tumor.

It is essential to understand that all testicular swelling are not malignancy.There are various conditions like epididymal cysts,hydrocele,testicular appendages who mimick the malignancy.The most common thing is epidemiology-orchitis. But in epididymo-orchits the swelling is usually painful,tender and preceded by urinary tract disturbances.

Usually the testicular tumors are painless; they even can have a loss of testicular sensations( the weird sensation that a man gets on pressing the testicles).

With this background it is quite imperative to teach the people regarding the testicular self examination.We have seen patients coming saying that they have a lump in the hemiscrotum . On examination we have found it to turn out to be epididymis ( normal hemiscrotal content).

Even patient have come to us with skin swellings like sebaceus cysts thinking that it is a testicular malignancy.

So teaching common people about right testicular anatomy, how to examine the scrotal contents will help a long way to detect the malignancy earlier. Earlier detected malignancy will have a better cure.

It does not take a long time and can be done when patient takes bath also.