A few men with testicular cancer may experience lower back pain, stomach pain or a cough as their first symptoms.

The causes of testicular cancer are unknown, but the number of men who develop testicular cancer is increasing and research is being carried out to find out why.

Men born with an undescended testicle (one that remains in the abdominal cavity rather than descending into the scrotum) may be at greater risk of developing testicular cancer.

Other factors that are thought to make testicular cancer more likely include:

• having a brother or father who had testicular cancer
• fertility problems
• being from a wealthy social group
• being white rather than of African or Asian descent
• having a rare complication of mumps called orchitis (painful swelling of the testicles)

Having a vasectomy or injury to the testicles does not cause testicular cancer.

Most lumps in the scrotum are not testicular cancer. However, if you notice one or more of the symptoms above, you should see your GP or a local sexual health clinic for advice. They will carry out a physical examination to rule out any other conditions or infections that can cause similar symptoms. Your GP may then refer you to a urologist - doctor specialising in the urinary organs - at a local hospital. You may also need to have an ultrasound scan so your doctor can examine your testicles.

If the ultrasound scan suggests cancer, a surgical procedure called a biopsy will be carried out to confirm this, and to see what type of cancer it is. This involves removing a small amount of the tumour and examining it under a microscope. If the biopsy confirms that there is cancer, the doctor will remove the affected part of your testicle.

Other tests may be carried out to see whether the cancer has spread. These may include:

• CT scans
• a chest X-ray
• blood tests to assess levels of tumour marker proteins in the blood total2page: Pre 1 Next