April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
By Liz Myatt, RN – College Health Nurse, San Elijo Campus Mark, age 19, a first year college student, went to the student health center for a painless enlarged right testicle that was present for one month. He delayed seeing a healthcare provider initially because he was embarrassed. However, he eventually sought help because the testicle remained enlarged. The physical exam revealed a testicular mass that wound up being cancerous. Thankfully it hadn’t spread to lymph nodes or other vital organs. He was able to get treatment to resolve the cancer and went on to achieve his goals and dreams. Testicular Cancer (TC) occurs most commonly between the ages of 20 and 34 , but it can occur at any age. TC is rare as only 1 in 250 people with testicles are at risk of getting it. The estimated number of new cases in the U.S. is 8,850 annually. In 2022 so far, California has 1,240 cases (that’s more than Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut and Florida combined!). The good news is cancer of the testicle...