A very worried man

[Sean]

Hi everyone, I will be attending hospital on tuesday to visit the urologist. I was told by my doctor that because my scan last week showed a lump in my left testicle . The chances are a lot greater that it is cancerous. Originally my gp thought it was more likely to be a cist because he thought it was outside of the testicle , but the ultra sound showed differently.

What worries me most is that although this lump is about the size of a pea , i first noticed it there about 4 years ago but assumed that this was just a part of my anatomy , but as time went by i noticed it was painful if i knocked it by accident. The other worry is that on the other side when i originally went to my gp he mentioned that he noticed another very small lump on the other side accept it was a little further up , Not sure if inside the testicle, but the person who was scanning me mentioned this but only scanned the bigger one on the left.

I was immediately contacted the next day by my gp and when i went in told me how it was inside the testicle and more chance that it could be cancer although he didnt rule out a smaller chance that it might be a cist.

I asked him what would be the procedure if it were found to be cancerous at which he replied that i would have to have both my testicles removed. I asked him why both? to which he replied to eliminate the chances it might be in the other one????? H e also said that i would have to have chemotherapy to help prevent the possibilities it may be any where else in my body.

At the moment i am feeling a little bit down understandably and realy dont have a clue about what exactly i will be facing in the next coming months. I am 39 years old , married with a 3 year old daughter and have just gone in to college to further my career. I work part time at the moment.

Can anyone tell me what i will expect to face over the next few months or just any good old fashioned advice as i really feel at a low point at the moment.

Thankyou
Sean

[Scott]

Welcome, Sean! Things will improve, and you will be cured. You don't need to have the second testicle removed unless it also has cancer, and that is unusual. What treatment you may need depends on whether cancer has spread outside the testicle.

[dadmo]

Sean:
No one can really tell what your plan will be until the biopsy of the tumor is completed. The attached link should help you understand how staging is done and what treatments are used. http://tcrc.acor.org/

[Sean]

thanks for your replies. I will no doubt keep you posted on what is happening

[Concerned Sis]

Hi, Sean

He's just a GP - Take what he has with a grain of salt. I doubt a urologist would give you the same advice. If only one testicle has cancer then they won't remove the other "just in case". Like Scott said, it's rare to have bilateral TC. Keep us posted and good luck to you.