What else can a hard lump be if not TC?

[LovinLife]

I'm in my late 20s and this evening checked my testicles and found a small (smaller than a pea), hard lump on one of them. I haven't done a thorough exam of them in a while. I am in perfect health (I hope) and have no familial history of anything. I did notice, months ago, a small peaish lump on the back of my skull (just under the skin) but it has not grown and is probably nothing to worry about.

However, this testicle lump is something to worry about. It's definitely attached to the testicle and not to the scrotum or a free-floating mass. I am going to make an apt first thing tomorrow morning but I'm quite worried that I've been unable to find a darn thing on the net that lends to the idea that this could be anything other than a serious problem. I thought maybe it's a cyst but they do not appear directly attached to the testicle, do they?

[LovinLife]

I guess I can't edit! I should add that this thing is so on the surface that when I stretch the skin over top I can easily see it underneath...it's as if its entire mass is on the surface of the testicle.

[Scott]

Welcome, LovinLife! It is possible that it is a cyst, but you should definitely see a urologist and ask about having an ultrasound. If it is cancer, the earlier you get treated, the less treatment you may need. Let us know what you find out.

[LovinLife]

Thanks for your response, Scott.

I saw the urologist this afternoon (gotta love seeing a specialist only 6 hours after making, apt, eh? ). He said it was "testis epidymis", which I presume to mean it's just a weird lumpy bit of my epidymis. He said it would not grow and is related to something that either is there or isn't there during gestation when my sex is being determined. He said it was not cancer and that if he had any doubt about that he'd order an ultrasound or something but that there was no point to looking into things further.

I actually asked him to check the lump on back of my skull and he said it's just a cyst or something and that a cancer lump back there, which is rare, would progress a lot after only two weeks, whereas this has been there at least months without moving. He didn't mention anything to do with lymph nodes, so presumably it's not a swollen one or anything.