Emma Howard: Hello! We are answering questions on health and medical problems and I am joined by Dr. Rosemary Leonard. Hello!
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: Hello!
Emma Howard: Rosemary, we have a question here from a 25-year-old woman who has found in her boyfriend of the same age, a small lump on his testicle. Now, she says he keeps saying that he won't go to the doctor to get it checked out, or says that he will, but he actually hasn't been. So he is kind of trying to tell her that he is going to sort it out. She is really getting worried. She thinks he is too embarrassed to go, and he keeps telling her that he is sure there is nothing wrong, and it's all going to be okay. She wants to know what can she do to get him checked out, to convince him he does need to go.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: What century is this man living in? What is about men and doctors? They are so scared of coming to see us. In fact, I am seeing more men in my surgery with personal problems like this. The vast majority of lumps in the testes are not cancer. And I think, what there is this underlying fear, oh my God! If it's cancer, I am going to lose my testes.
The answer is chances are it's not cancer. A very common cause of lumps in the testes is actually infection or little cysts which are very easily dealt with. What he needs to do is go along to this doctor. If he has got a female GP, and there are a lot of us around now, an alternative would be to go down to the Department of Genitourinary Medicine at his local hospital where there are always male staff and he could be seen there. What he actually needs probably is an ultrasound scan to sort out what it is and to put his mind at rest which he will be worried about this, and also to put her mind at rest as well.
Emma Howard: Well, there have been huge advertising campaigns in the last few years. The sport stars saying get it checked out. Testicular cancer, hard to say, is one of those things that seems to be sort of cooler thing to sort out.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: Yeah. And the thing is about testicular cancer if, worst-case scenario this was testicular cancer, it is eminently curable. This is a cancer that can be cured.
Emma Howard: If you get it early enough.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: If you get it early enough, yes. Yes, he might need to have one of his testicles removed, but then a man can function perfectly well and father a child on one testicle in the same that woman can have a baby with one tube and one ovary. And you can now get prosthesis to go in the scrotum, so it looks cosmetically, as if they have got two. So really, he needs to go along.
Emma Howard: Go get it checked out, and as you said, probably not cancer anyway.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: Probably not cancer anyway, but you cannot be sure, you cannot be sure. So he really ought to go.
Emma Howard: How would you suggest she tackle the problem, because that's what's she really want to be know. Give me a script she is saying, what do I say to him?
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: I would suggest what she does, sometimes I had had women who have actually made the appointment and then said, right, you are coming. They have made an appointment at the doctor at the time when they know it's as convenient as it can be, and they have said right I have made an appointment, you are coming with me now. Take it out his hands as it were; just say you are coming now.
Emma Howard: Fabulous! Thank you for answering that question, Rosemary. Well, if you have a similar problem, we hope we might have given you some help. But remember, it's always best to go and see your own doctor for medical advice. Thanks for watching. We'll be back with more health questions and answers.
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