Is This Cancer?

[ITEACHART]

I am fairly concerned about my husband who is 29 years old. About a month ago, he found a small, hard, pea-sized lump in his left testicle located in the front/side area. The lump is attached to the testicle and cannot be seperated from it. The size has not changed as we have been monitoring it but he claims that it does give him some pain throughout the day. We are waiting for his insurance to kick in before he is able to see a professional but would like to hear some opinions on this before we worry ourselves to death. Any thoughts?

Thank you.

[dadmo]

What you're describing certainly sounds like it should be checked by a doctor. Any hard lump in the testicle is suspicious. The attached link will take you to a site with information on how to do a self exam http://tcrc.acor.org/. Does your husband have any lower back pain or nipple sensitivity.

[Scott]

How long a wait will it be for insurance coverage? It's really important to get it checked as soon as possible.

[ITEACHART]

Well, my husband is a construction worker so he is always experiencing aches and pains all over his body, especially his back. So, it's quite difficult to pinpoint if this is a symptom of the lump or just the norm. The insurance provider says that the policy will not be active until the first of this month or 30 days after that...

Does anyone have any thoughts of his specific description? Did anyone else's case sound like that?

Thanks!

[dadmo]

There is no easy way to say this but most people on this site, who have had cancer, had the same symptoms as your husband. It could be something else but this certainly needs to be checked. If your insurance coverage starts on the first I would make an appointment for the second.

[ITEACHART]

Well I appreciate the help...I'd still like to hear from as many people as possible. I know that it won't change anything, we don't have all of the facts (tests) yet, but somehow, it's comforting to hear as much as possible about this stuff. Thanks again.

[huckchef]

i would go and have an ultrasound done. at least have something started so if and i say IF its cancer than your that much ahead of the game. it may even take a few days for you to get into an appointment. an ultrasopund if paying out of pocket would definitely be the cheapest. maybe just some bloodwork will tell something. i personally dont think a couple of weeks will make that big of difference because i did something similiar so i could bank sperm and i also saw 3 different doctors in the meantime and from the time they found a mass behind my stomach it was a month before i even had an ultrasound done. but do something!!! lets us know! my thoughts and prayers are with you both. brian

[Mom]

The problem is that if you go and have the ultrasound now before insurance is triggered the insurance carrier may consider any diagnosis as a pre-existing condition. Most health plans look back 90 days before the effective date of insurance for pre-existing conditions. If you have gone this long without seeing a doctor because of insurance (which is certainly a risk but hopefully not unmanageable) then make sure you don't have a pre-existing penalty with the new health plan. As far as your husband's symptoms, what he has is abnormal and should be checked out. My husband had swelling and no pain, my son had extreme pain with no swelling or lump but the tumor had taken over his testicle. The doctor figured my son had the tumor(s) 6 months before the onset of a symptom and he had lymph invasion. My husband was misdiagnosed for 9 months but fortunately the TC was limited to the testicle. He had the RPLND. The elderly in this country have to make a choice between food and medication, the young have to make a choice between health and financial disaster. Sorry set of affairs. I hope things work out for you. Dianne

[ITEACHART]

I have to agree with you, MOM. I really feel that if we get anything done before the insurance becomes active, that we will have ourselves, "blacklisted" as a pre-existing condition.


So now I'm curious, MOM and HUCKCHEF, are my husband's symptoms similar to that of your experiences?

Thank you for your support and concern.

[huckchef]

there was post not long ago(i'll try to find it) about pre existing conditions. no one can deny you coverage for a pre-existing. i believe this is federal law. there are insurance people who post here frequently if i cant find the other post. someone can tell you for sure!
as for symptoms i had....... zero! no lumps, no swelling, no elevated blood work. my afp level was 10015 which the normal range ends at 10000 which was not really out of line at the time. could have been infection somewhere, since they could rule out i wasnt pregnant(afp is also a marker for testing pregnant women)!!!!!!! i had a minor pain in my groin area(just below my waist line deep behind the pubic area) which i had ct scan for possible appendicitis. they found a mass behind my stomach in retroperitineal area which is the first area of spread beyond the genitals area. one month later after antibiotics and no change in the mass, i began to have swelling because i pinched my testical(sorry to be so blunt) when i sat down one day. (i was a going commando believer, thats why i pinched it) an ultrasound later reveiled i had bi-lateral testicular cancer(cancer of both testicals). one being 95% tumor and a 1/2 cm on the other. i think i had this for at least a year if not longer from what i know now and how things started to change and no relevant answers. but all is well now and moving on with a better life ahead of me because of it. hope this helps! please dont hesitate to ask questions! brian

[huckchef]

needing cotorams help on insurance questions

where's COTORAM when you need him!!!!! i read back on the other post and it was dealing with cobra policies! you can contact the insurace company or the human resource person for the company who is providing your husbands insurance and they can tell you what you can and cannot do. maybe cotoram will respond (he sells health insurance)!

[dadmo]

I teach ART:
I don't want to recommend this as anything with scientific backing or as a replacement for a doctors vist but I have heard of men using an early pregnancy test kit to check on their afp levels. It is very unscientific and could very easily be wrong but if you were to use it your husband should not have an afp level that would show him as pregnant.

[Mom]

The fact that the lump is hard and it is part of the testicle is symptomatic. I think Dadmo has a great idea. Go out and get one of those at home pregnancy tests but understand that the results are not conclusive. I handle HR and benefits at work and legal matters associated with same. I run into the insurance issue all of the time. Our group health coverage has a pre-existing penalty if there is a lapse of coverage. You have to have continuous coverage with no less than a 63 day lapse for the law to protect you. Many HMO's do not have a pre-existing penalty. Is your insurance provider an HMO? Deal with them directly, not your husband's employer. I wish I could relieve your anxiety. Dianne

[Scott]

I have heard of men using an early pregnancy test kit to check on their afp levels. It is very unscientific and could very easily be wrong but if you were to use it your husband should not have an afp level that would show him as pregnant.

Remember that a positive test will tell you it's cancer, but a negative test will tell you nothing.

[ITEACHART]

Well thank you for your continued support. Last night my husband told me that he had found a new lump. He had been monitoring the area for a few days and what he thought was some swelling has turned into a new lump. This one takes up about 1/4 the space of his testicle and is liquid filled. We checked and it is not attached to the tubes. It is also right next to the first lump, which is pea-sized and very hard. This is obviously rapidly forming... Is this some infection?

Just so you know, he has a doctor's appointment with the urologist on March 7th.... we're hoping that our insurance is active by then...

Also, we're probably going to take the pregnancy test but it seems that if it shows negative that it won't calm our fears one way or another.

Thank you all for your continued support.