A simple 10-second self-examination can mean the difference between life and aggressive cancer, which can lead to cannon-shaped tumors in the lungs.
Testicular cancer is the most common cause of a condition doctors call “cannon balloon.” The disease spreads to the lungs and forms a flood of rapidly multiplying tumors.
Survival rates plummet from about 96 percent with early detection to just 73 percent once the cancer has spread beyond the testicles to the lungs.
Florida-based emergency physician Dr. Sam Ghali took to Twitter to warn people about the deadly danger after witnessing the scenario in a young patient.
In a voice recording On the social media site, he told of a man in his 20s who was admitted to hospital with a persistent cough and was found to have advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs.
Multiple growths appeared as cloudy nodules on the chest X-ray – a classic case of “cannonball metastases,” said Dr. Ghali.
If testicular cancer is detected early, for example through self-examination, testicular cancer is largely treatable.
Dr. Sam Ghali, an emergency physician based in Florida, discussed the case of a young man in his 20s who realized too late that he had advanced testicular cancer, which manifested as the formation of cancer cell lumps in the lungs. in the form of cannonballs
The survival rate for testicular cancer, which is confined to the testicle, is about 99 percent after five years. Once the cancer spreads beyond the testicles and lungs, the five-year survival rate drops to 73 percent
Almost 99 percent of testicular cancer patients who become infected with testicular cancer before it spreads throughout the body survive. This percentage drops slightly to 96 percent if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen.
However, if the cancer is left untreated and spreads, it often ends up in the lungs.
There are no exact numbers to quantify exactly how many men with testicular cancer develop cannon-shaped nodules in their lungs.
Whether a cancer spreads to the lungs or other organs depends on the physiology of the individual patient. A subtype of testicular cancer called non-seminomas is more likely to metastasize than seminomas, which tend to grow and spread more slowly.
The cannonball-like lesions can also result from other forms of cancer, including kidney, breast and colon cancer.
Dr. Ghali told his 472,000 Twitter followers; “We immediately noticed these large, very well-defined, round lesions” in both lungs.
“There are so many you can’t even count them.” This is the classic phenomenon of the so-called cannonball metastases.”
Testicular cancer is relatively rare: about 0.4 percent of men are diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives.
However, it is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 44.
It turned out that Ben’s chronic cough was testicular cancer in his chest
Six months after Ben Payne ran the London Marathon, the 36-year-old started coughing up blood. When he looked at his x-ray, he found that testicular cancer cells had migrated to his chest.
Dr. Ghali said: “The reason I wanted to share this case with you is because this young man was finally investigated when he developed a cough that would not go away… but he was not investigated because he had a testicular mass noticed and.” actually got bigger.
“We see it far too often.” The human trait of denial is very powerful. People just say to themselves: It’s nothing, it will go away. And before you know it, time flies and you get used to putting it off, and by the time you’re checked out, it’s too late.”
Experts in men’s health have long advocated increased self-examination as a simple, non-invasive way to ensure that everything looks normal and does not require treatment from a trained doctor.
Dr. Ghali added: “People, if you’re listening to this, if you notice anything — a lump, a mass, anything that’s strange — please get it checked out.”
The entire self-test takes about 10 seconds. Men should place their fingers behind the testicles with the thumb facing forward.
Using your fingertips and thumb instead of the tips, gently roll the thumb from top to bottom of the testicle on the front and side and then back up.
This should be done on both sides and the testicles should feel smooth and firm. If you feel a lump – firm and possibly the size of a pea – a doctor should take another look.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
