Skip to main content

Military Health System

Be proactive in looking for early signs of testicular cancer

Image of Military health personnel giving and examination. Military health personnel giving and examination

Recommended Content:

Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness | Men's Health | April Observances | Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention

Testicular Cancer Week is an important time to remind service members to be proactive in their health.

According to Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Dorota Hawksworth, a urologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, testicular cancer is very rare, but is most common amongst males between 15 and 34 years of age, the age bracket of many military members.

Testicular cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of one or both testicles. While the diagnosis of cancer can be frightening, testicular cancer can usually be cured.

"Many men have no known risk factors," said Hawksworth, "the known risk factors [for testicular cancer] can't be changed."

These risk factors include a personal history of undescended testicle or prior testicular cancer, family history of testicular cancer, HIV infection, diagnosis of Klinefelter's disease, age, race, and ethnicity, Hawksworth noted. White males develop testicular cancer at a rate four times higher than that of Black males, according to cancer.gov.

Testicular cancer can be detected early through screenings both at home and by a doctor.

"Screening means looking for cancer before person has any symptoms. This process is performed differently, depending on the type of cancer," said Hawksworth.

Testicular cancer however has no standard routine or screening. According to Hawksworth, most testicular cancers are found by a man or his partner, either by chance or by a self-screening.

Self-exams should be performed monthly and in a warm environment such as a bath or shower to allow the scrotum to be more "relaxed," Hawksworth noted. Then each testis should be felt separately, using both hands to ensure that the contour is even and smooth with an egg-like shape with both testes about the same size.

If during a self-exam a patient finds a nodule or hard mass on or around the testicle, a size change, or difference in one or both testes, pain, or if the patient "thinks" he feels something and is unsure, he should seek medical attention urgently.

According to Hawksworth, most tumors present with a painless mass or swelling in one or sometimes both testes. Testicular pain only occurs in about 10% of men with testicular cancer. Men may have systemic, as opposed to localized, pain, "they may complain about breast swelling, back pain, or an abnormal pain or mass," said Hawksworth.

If caught early enough, many testicular cancers can be removed through surgery. According to cancer.gov, testicular cancer has a 95% five-year survival rate.

You also may be interested in...

Alcohol Awareness Month

Infographic
3/15/2022

It’s #AlcoholAwarenessMonth and it might be time to check in with your drinking habits to ensure they aren’t becoming an obstacle to leading a healthy life.

Recommended Content:

April Observances

Autism Awareness Month

Infographic
3/15/2022

It’s #AutismAwarenessMonth! We can all work to make room for more inclusivity and tolerance with just a little patience, understanding and education.

Recommended Content:

April Observances

Sports Eye Safety Month: Eye Injuries

Infographic
3/15/2022

#DYK? 14.7% of eye injuries occur during sports. Take care of your eyesight and ensure you’re protecting your eyes during strenuous physical activity.

Recommended Content:

April Observances | Hearing Center of Excellence | Vision and Hearing Loss Prevention

Army Reserve Birthday

Infographic
3/15/2022

Happy 114th Birthday to the U.S. Army Reserve! Thank you all for your service and continued devotion.

Recommended Content:

April Observances

National Drug Take Back Day

Infographic
3/15/2022

Today is #NationalDrugTakeBack - Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. Prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths by disposing of your drugs at a collection site near you.

Recommended Content:

April Observances | Drug Take Back Program

National Military Brats Day

Infographic
3/15/2022

Military Brats are children who often have to move schools, towns, and homes for the sake of their parents’ military service. This #NationalMilitaryBratsDay, celebrate your child and honor the sacrifices they make that often go unnoticed.

Recommended Content:

April Observances

Public Health Week

Infographic
3/15/2022

Today is #NationalPublicHealthWeek! After experiencing a pandemic first-hand, we can probably all agree public health is a vital concern. Thank you to all those doctors, nurses, and researchers who are working hard towards building bridges to better health!

Recommended Content:

April Observances | Public Health

Military Dentists Provide Relief and Support in Central America

Article
3/8/2022
U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Lemieux (center), dental assistant with Army Forces Battalion, Joint Task Force-Bravo, and Col. Franklin Florence (right), general dentist with Army Forces Battalion, Joint Task Force-Bravo, prepare a patient for an extraction with assistance from a Honduran volunteer during a Global Health Engagement at Los Laureles, Santa Barbara department, Honduras, Feb. 15. JTF-Bravo, in conjunction with Honduran Ministry of Health representatives, conducted the mission to provide dental and other medical services with volunteer support from Honduran medical students, who served as interpreters.

Dental woes are common to everyone, everywhere. U.S. military medical and dental specialists conducted a Global Health Engagement with partners in Santa Barbara, Honduras, in February, where they provided dental and primary care services to local Hondurans.

Recommended Content:

Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness | TRICARE Dental Care

Teeth Grinding: You Won't Believe How Harmful it Really Is

Article
2/28/2022
U.S. Navy Hospitalman Justin Sobleskie (right), and U.S. Navy Lt. Matthew Roberts, USS Carter Hall dental department head, do dental work on aboard the USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) while at sea.

Grinding your teeth, called bruxism, can lead to migraines and neck pain or require surgery to replace the joint in your jaw.

Recommended Content:

TRICARE Dental Care | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness

A Deployed Dentist Recalls His 'One-Chair' Clinic in Afghanistan

Article
2/16/2022
Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Andrew Gutierrez did a tour of duty as a dentist downrange in Afghanistan.

“The soldiers knew whether there was a dentist on base. Those who needed something found me.”

Recommended Content:

TRICARE Dental Care | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness

How 3D-Printed Teeth and Other New Tech are Transforming Dental Care

Article
2/15/2022
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaden Murry had nearly all of his lower jaw removed because of a tumor. The procedure was the DOD’s first ever immediate jaw reconstruction surgery using 3D-printed teeth.

Advances in dental technology are improving care and increasing the number of patients willing to get treatment when needed.

Recommended Content:

TRICARE Dental Care | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness

Reduce your risk of developing cancer

Article Around MHS
2/15/2022
About one of every three Americans will develop some form of malignancy during his or her lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genes, lifestyle, and the environment work together to increase or decrease risk of getting cancer. Each person’s cancer risk is made up of a combination of these factors.

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. 

Recommended Content:

Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness

Women’s Heart Attacks Symptoms Can Differ from Men’s: Know the Signs

Article
2/11/2022
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack can differ between women and men. If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 quickly.

Doctors say women sometimes fail to recognize their unique warnings signs for heart problems.

Recommended Content:

Heart Health Toolkit | Total Force Fitness | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness | Heart Health | Women's Health

Why Dental Health is Essential for Warfighters and Military Readiness

Article
2/4/2022
U.S. Air Force Major Rachael Parrish, 20th Dental Squadron general dentist, performs an oral exam on Airman 1st Class Amie Bickford, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions technician at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, March 13, 2017. Airmen assigned to the 20th DS are tasked with ensuring airmen and soldiers on base meet all dental class requirements for deployment.

Your mouth is a gateway to your body. Bad oral hygiene can lead to serious health consequences that may affect your military readiness.

Recommended Content:

TRICARE Dental Care | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness

Dentally Unready: Gen. George Washington's Lifetime of Dental Misery

Article
2/3/2022
Visitors to the George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate and museum in Mount Vernon, Virginia, can see George Washington’s only remaining full denture among the collection. They include his own pulled and saved teeth, other human teeth, teeth from cows and horses that were filed to fit, and teeth carved from elephant ivory.

No, George Washington did not have wooden teeth. But he did struggle with dental problems for most of his life.

Recommended Content:

Our History | TRICARE Dental Care | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness
<< < ... 6 7 8 9 10  ... > >> 
Showing results 76 - 90 Page 6 of 12
Refine your search
Last Updated: December 29, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery