Cryptorchidism (undescended testicle), white race, and a family history of the disease are some of the known risk factors for this cancer. None of these factors can be changed. Also, many men with testicular cancer have no known risk factors. For these reasons, there is no way to prevent most cases of this disease. We don’t know how much correcting an undescended testicle might affect cancer risk, but most experts agree that it should be done during childhood for other reasons, such as fertility and body image.
The prevention and screening treatments for testicular cancer
Was there anything Raphael Baptiste, the leading male character in my latest novel, If I Were Your Woman done to prevent getting testicular cancer? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
There are no standard or routine screening tests for the early detection of testicular cancer. Also, there are no proven ways to prevent testicular cancer. However, performing monthly TSE’s and knowing the risk factors of testicular cancer increases the possibility of detecting the disease at an early stage, when it’s most curable.
National Cancer Institute
Risk Factors of testicular cancer
- Age: Most cases occur between the ages of 15 and 40, and testicular cancer is the type of cancer found most often in men ages 20 to 34
- Race: White men are 5 to 10 times more likely to develop testicular cancer than men of other races
- Family or personal history of testicular cancer
- Undescended testicle (cryptorchidism): Men with testicles that did not move down into the scrotum before birth are at increased risk. Men who had surgery to correct this condition are still at high risk of testicular cancer.
- Abnormal testicular development
- Klinefelter’s syndrome: A sex chromosome disorder characterized by low levels of male hormones, sterility, breast enlargement, and small testes.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS
- Previous treatment for testicular cancer
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