Prevention

here is no known way to prevent testicular cancer.

All men (specifically those aged 18-44 years) should perform monthly testicular self-examinations. The point of these examinations is not to find a cancer but to get familiar with how your testicles feel so that you will notice if something changes.

• The best time to do the exam is after a warm bath or shower, when your muscles are most relaxed.
  
  
• Stand in front of a mirror that allows full view of your scrotum.
  
  
• Examine each testicle, one at a time.
  
  
• Use 2 hands: Hold the testicle between the thumbs and first 2 fingers of both hands, with the thumbs in front and the fingers behind. Gently roll the testicle around between these fingers, carefully feeling the testicle and the cord all over, trying not to miss a spot.
  
  
• Locate the epididymis, the soft tube at the back of each testicle that carries the sperm. Learn to recognize it and be able to tell it from a cancerous lump.
  
  
• You should not feel any pain during the exam.
  
  
• If you find anything that alarms or concerns you, have it checked out by your primary care provider or a urologist.
  
  
• If you have trouble with the exam, ask your health care provider to show you the correct method.