slide request

[castalltoGod]

Hi,
My husband found a lump in his right testicle on Sunday,we saw the doctor on Tuesday and he had an ultrasound that same day. We are going to urologist this coming Tuesday. The ultrasound tech felt it was outside the testicle. The lump is slightly larger than a nickle.
No pain. The location is near the bottom. He is 49.

We live close to NYC and if the urologist feels it is Cancer we will go there for treatment.
How should we procede?

Biopsy here local and then to NYC? How does one ask for slides to take for second opinion.

I am frozen in fear but I feel we need to take charge.

The radiologist felt to just wait for 3 months and watch but our doctor said no way. What happends if the urologist says the same.

Thank you all in advance.

[dadmo]

If the lump should be suspicious the urologist will want to examine it, which means that the testicle will have to be removed. That can be done at any local hospital. It’s a very simple operation and he will be out of surgery in less then an hour. At this point the testicle will be sent out for examination and that will take around 5-10 days, the waiting will be awful.
If it should be cancer all you need to do is contact the hospital where the surgery was done and request the films and slides and they will have them for you in 48 hours. If you are going to get a second opinion in NY you will want to go to Sloan Kettering (they are a recognized world leader in the treatment of testicular cancer) call this number and simply schedule an appointment.
If your husband should need further treatment it can be done at a local facility by a local specialist under the direction of Sloan. This is exactly what I did with my son.
Good luck and let's hope the lump is nothing.

[Already Bald]

Hi,
My husband found a lump in his right testicle on Sunday,we saw the doctor on Tuesday and he had an ultrasound that same day. We are going to urologist this coming Tuesday. The ultrasound tech felt it was outside the testicle. The lump is slightly larger than a nickle.
No pain. The location is near the bottom. He is 49.

We live close to NYC and if the urologist feels it is Cancer we will go there for treatment.
How should we procede?

Biopsy here local and then to NYC? How does one ask for slides to take for second opinion.

I am frozen in fear but I feel we need to take charge.

The radiologist felt to just wait for 3 months and watch but our doctor said no way. What happends if the urologist says the same.

Thank you all in advance.

When did the radiologist say to wait 3 months, before or after the US?
It is really the urologist's decision.
Either way I suggest you get a second opinion at Sloan-Kettering, you will need copies of the films and the report. They will also take blood to check tumor markers.
Convert your fear into action and you will feel better. Remember, this disease is highly treatable.
Best of luck on Tuesday.

[castalltoGod]

Slides

The radiologist after he read the US said to wait but our doctor did not want to have us wait. (We felt the same way) That was with a "wet reading" US.

I already have a copy of the US for the visit on Tuesday. I am told the urologist may want to do US in his office.


No blood work has been done yet. Should we expect this on Tuesday or should we insist on it?


Thank you for your responses.

[dadmo]

The doctor should be planning it but if not make the request.

[castalltoGod]

Went to doctor last evening

We went to the doctor last evening. The doctor said he was expecting to deliver not good news from the phone call from our family doctor and the ultrasound report from radiologist.

He immediately put the ultrasound up and looked at them and said it was not bad news.
The "mass" was an epididymal cyst. It was not "hard".
he checked my husband over very well with me in attancdance looking for lymph glands etc and none found.

He had trained at Sloan and was familiar with the protocal there.

He will ultrasound him in 6 weeks and see him again. He told my husband to check the lump twice a week to moniter the size and he was confidient it was OK.

I ask about any blood test and he said there were no blood tests for this area.
Something about any cancer in this area being very very rare. No blood tests.

He said the testicles were fine had healthy "salt and pepper look"
He said it could have been from trauma to area or an infection. My husband did about one year ago have some swelling and pain in the area and groin following a sore throat /URI illness. He did get on an antibiotic but it was not until he had the symptoms for a few days. He said he most likely did not have enough of the medicine.(antibiotic)
My husband is very active (runs and chops a lot of wood etc)
About three months ago he had pain in this testicle and it felt twisted but it only lasted about a day.
The doctor told him any pain should not be let go to see if it gets better on its own.

He did have a vasectomy and this doctor said that the "cut" was lower than normal and this could have caused it too. He said it was unusually low in the tube that they cut.

I would like to thank you for your listening to me and would appreciate any comments on this.

[Scott]

I ask about any blood test and he said there were no blood tests for this area.
Something about any cancer in this area being very very rare. No blood tests.

That's great news that the ultrasound showed a cyst instead of a solid mass.

I'm not sure about the context for your doctor's comments about blood tests; tumor markers for testicular cancer are AFP, hCG, and LDH.

Congratulations! Please keep us posted on the follow-up.

[dadmo]

That's certainly good news.
My only comment is that blood testing for tc is common. Perhaps because of your husbands age he was assuming that it would be seminoma (the more common form as you get older) which may not produce markers.

[castalltoGod]

Blood test

I did mention those two tests.
AFP and hCg, He said something about cancer in this area is so rare(his area of the epididymal cyst) that there is no blood test to detect it. He did not become defensive about my questioning him. I feel Ok about it now. I will see how the progress of the lump goes and when we go back in 6 weeks maybe ask for them to "reasure the wife "
When he reviewed the ultrasound he was very detailed in explaining the anantomy of the structures of his actual cyst.Why he believed what he did.

[dadmo]

Ok, now I understand. He's 100% sure your ok and he's talking about a test for epididymal cancer.