As long-time readers know, I support the Movember Foundation, primarily due to their association with prostate cancer issues.
However, they broadly support men’s health issues, which includes testicular cancer… and April is testicular cancer awareness month!
Well, that’s an image.
Testicular cancer is not as common a cancer as lung, breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer. However, it is the most common cancer among young men:
Some key stats from the American Cancer Society:
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for testicular cancer in the United States for 2026 are:
About 9,810 new cases of testicular cancer diagnosed
About 630 deaths from testicular cancer
The incidence rate of testicular cancer has been increasing in the US and many other countries for several decades. The increase is mostly in seminomas. Experts have not been able to find reasons for this.
Testicular cancer is not common: about 1 of every 250 males will develop testicular cancer at some point during their lifetime.
1 out of 250 is 0.4% lifetime risk, so obviously that’s very low, and that’s just incidence.
Survivorship is high, if caught early.
But… you actually have to get oddities checked out:
I’ll get back to that in a moment.
Testicular Cancer Survivorship Rates
As with so many other cancers, the statistics look good when the cancer is caught early: [go to link at American Cancer Society for more info on interpretation and data sources]
Heck, those are excellent rates for even distant. It’s probably a reflection of the ages men generally are when the cancers are found (even though these are relative rates):
The average age of males when first diagnosed with testicular cancer is about 33. This is largely a disease of young and middle-aged men, but about 6% of cases occur in children and teens and about 8% occur in men older than age 55.
Improve Your Chances: Check Your Nuts, Go to a Doctor Regularly!
It doesn’t hurt (unless it does, which it shouldn’t… the point of the exercise) to check that everything is as it should be:
Movember: Nuts & Bolts — Lump, swelling or pain: How to check your testicles
What to look out for
Just like any part of your body, nuts can experience an array of very normal changes. Not all irregularities mean cancer. But if you notice a lump on your testicle that wasn’t there before, or are concerned about any pain or swelling, it’s best to let a doctor get up close and personal to see what’s going on.
It’s also a great idea to have a doctor examine your nuts as part of your regular check-up. Find someone that you trust and feel comfortable talking to about all of your health issues — especially the ones you find a little embarrassing.
I think I’ve found something unusual: What should I do?
Okay, so you’ve noticed a swollen testicle, a lump, or your testicles hurt a little — something just feels wrong or unusual. Don’t jump to conclusions about what it means. Instead, take action and see your doctor. Don’t wait around.
Book a doctor’s appointment and get checked out as soon as you can. While it might feel awkward, doctors do checks like this all the time — it’s not awkward for them. They’ll be able to take a look at what’s going on and tell you if they want any tests done to get more information.
One problem has been that males go to the doctor less often than females, even when things may be wrong:
To be sure, a woman’s fertile years may have more cause for more frequent doctor’s visits, and as both men and women age, the visits become more on par… but males still have worse mortality outcomes.
For ages 45-64, far more men are in worse health than women, but you wouldn’t know it from the above graph.
So, guys, just hoping weird lumps will go away is not the best strategy.
Cancer is very treatable, and in many/most cases it won’t be cancer but a different treatable issue.
SEE A DOCTOR, PLEASE.