Testicular Cancer: 7 Critical Things Every Male Needs To Know

5. Not All Irregularities Are Testicular Cancer

Although it is easy to spot a lump on your testicle and immediately think it is cancer, not all lumps or abnormalities are an indication. Heaviness in the testicles could be a sign of varicoceles, which is a condition characterized by enlarged veins affecting approximately ten to fifteen percent of all men. Although men with varicoceles have a forty-one percent lower sperm count than other men, the condition does not usually increase the risk of cancer.

4. Risk Factors

Having an undescended testicle is the biggest risk factor for developing testicular cancer. It occurs before birth when the testicle does not drop below the scrotum. The condition affects approximately four percent of baby boys in the United States and raises the risk of cancer by six to ten percent. Testicular cancer also tends to run in the family. White males are more affected than African American or Asian American men.