Waiting for results
Waiting to find out whether or not the cancer has spread from the testicle to other parts of the body can be a very stressful...
How testicular cancer affects you
Most men became aware that something was seriously wrong, either during the ultrasound scan, or later, when the urologist identified a tumour in the testis. One man said that during the time of investigations he ‘went numb’, suppressed his feelings, but expected the worst.
Recalled that he suppressed his feelings while he waited for the results of the tests.
When they heard the diagnosis several men said that they cried, either with the doctor, their families, or on their own.
Recalls the shock he experienced when he was told that he would have to have a testicle removed.
Recalls that he hid his emotion from the doctor when given the diagnosis.
However, men’s reaction varied widely. One man, who only waited four days between his first consultation with the urologist, and the surgery to remove a testicle, said that at the time he didn’t have any feelings because everything happened so fast it ‘didn’t really dawn what was going on’.
Men we spoke to had different reactions to the diagnosis depending on their age, whether or not they were in a relationship, and whether or not they had children already. One young man, for example, who was diagnosed aged 15, feared he might not be able to have children (see ‘Fertility‘).
Some men we interviewed feared the worst because they didn’t know that testicular cancer is highly curable, and they had known other people suffer from other forms of cancer. One man was terrified because his mother had died of cancer.
Remembers that he was terrified when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Some men were devastated when they heard the diagnosis. For example, one young man, aged 24, who had a lump removed from his neck, almost fainted when told it was a secondary tumour, which had spread from the testicle.
Waiting for surgery could be a difficult time. During an ultrasound examination a man was told he had a cyst in the testicle. Later, his urologist told him that it could be either a blood clot or a tumour. While waiting six days for surgery to remove his testicle he tried to deny any serious implications. However, he slept badly and had nightmares.
While waiting for surgery he tried to put it out of his mind, but didn’t sleep well and had…
Another man, who knew he had cancer, said that the four days between the diagnosis and the surgery were the worst days of his life, because he imagined a monster growing inside him.
Asserts that the worst part was waiting for surgery and imagining that the cancer was a monster…
Even though men we spoke to were told that the cure rate for testicular cancer was excellent, many worried that they wouldn’t survive. One recalled feeling isolated and depressed. Some thought about possible death, and focused on things that they still wanted to do in life.
Recalls his feelings of shock, depression, and isolation when diagnosed with cancer.
Finding out that the cancer had spread was also a terrible shock. When first diagnosed with testicular cancer, one young man, born with only one testicle, was mainly concerned about his sex life. However, when he learnt that the cancer had spread, he told us the news was ‘really devastating’.
Recalls that after the initial diagnosis he was mainly concerned that he would not be able to…
Describes his shock and devastated feelings when he heard that the cancer had spread to his groin.
Although the diagnosis came as an awful shock many men were reassured by the excellent cure rate. Indeed, as men recovered and realised that they were going to survive, many suggested that cancer had had a positive effect on their lives (see ‘Attitude to life’).
Explains that learning about the high cure rate was reassuring.
How it affects family relationships
Relationships within families can change as the result of illness. Some families find it difficult to talk about cancer or share their feelings. One man...