By the time testicular cancer begins causing pain, your prognosis won’t be looking too good. Half of U.S. testicular cancers occur in men ages 20 to 34.
• 5.7% under age 20
• 23.1% age 35-44
• 12.9% age 45-54
Testicular cancer is certainly not an “old man’s disease,” but it does indeed affect men over 55—though it’s rare in this age group.
Many men want to know what kind of pain testicular cancer causes.
“Testicular tumors generally do not cause pain,” says Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD, a board-certified urologist specializing in chronic testicular pain and infertility, and co-founder of Drive 4 Men’s Health, a nonprofit public engagement campaign that has encouraged millions of men to be more active, eat well and get preventive medical screenings.
“That is why it’s so important for guys to examine themselves monthly for abnormalities in their testicle,” says Dr. Brahmbhatt. “Know what is normal so when you feel the abnormality you know the difference.”
The key is to catch this cancer while it is still confined to the testicle at an early stage. At this stage it will not cause pain and it is highly curable.
Signs to Look For
• Lump, bump or enlargement in a testicle
• One testicle is usually affected; suspicion should be high if only one has visible or palpable changes, especially with other symptoms.
• Sensation of heaviness in the scrotum
• Sudden fluid collection in the scrotum
• Enlargement of the chest/breasts or tenderness there
As Dr. Brahmbhatt says, testicular cancer generally does not cause any physical discomfort.
However, it’s not impossible for a localized tumor to cause some degree of discomfort in the testicle or scrotum.
But if the malignancy has begun spreading, pain or aching can occur in the groin, abdomen or back.
“Testicular cancer can spread into the lymph nodes and other parts of your body,” says Dr. Brahmbhatt.
“If the tumor is causing pain then it’s probably a large tumor that has spread somewhere in the body.”
Dr. Brahmbhatt is the co-director of the PUR Clinic (Personalized Urology & Robotics) which specializes in urology needs such as vasectomy reversal, groin pain and testicular pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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