The most common cancer in men aged 15 to 49 — and among the most curable, even when it has spread.
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Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged roughly 15 to 49 — an age group that otherwise thinks about cancer very little, which is part of the problem.
It is also one of the most curable cancers there is. Cure rates are very high even when it has spread, which is unusual and worth knowing.
Because men wait. The average delay between noticing something and seeing a doctor is measured in months, and the reasons are consistent: embarrassment, hoping it will go away, and not wanting to make a fuss.
Waiting does not change the diagnosis. It changes the treatment. Found early, this is often an operation and nothing more. Later, it can mean chemotherapy.
We cannot examine you, and a testicular lump needs examining. That is your NHS GP, today, and it is free.
Booking a video consultation instead only costs you time, and we would tell you so in the first minute.
It usually does not hurt. Most men assume a serious problem would be painful, and a painless lump therefore gets left.
Painless is the typical presentation, not a reassuring feature.
Cysts, varicoceles, hydroceles and epididymal swellings are all commoner, and all harmless.
That is a reason to get it checked rather than a reason not to — the examination and, if needed, an ultrasound take very little time and settle it.
Injury does not cause testicular cancer. An injury sometimes draws attention to a lump that was already there, which is a different thing.
Nor do vasectomy, cycling, tight underwear, or sexual activity. These come up constantly and none is a risk factor.
If you had an undescended testicle as a child, tell any doctor assessing you. It raises the risk meaningfully and it is frequently not in the notes or not remembered.
A doctor examines both testicles — this is quick, and it is the step that decides what happens next.
Scrotal ultrasound is the key test. It is painless, takes minutes, involves no radiation, and distinguishes a solid mass from a cyst or fluid collection with high accuracy.
Testicular cancer is one of the few where tumour markers are actually useful. AFP, beta-hCG and LDH can support the diagnosis, help identify the type, and are used to monitor treatment.
But normal markers do not exclude it — a proportion of testicular cancers do not produce them.
Unusually, not by biopsy. Taking a biopsy through the scrotum risks spreading the disease, so where imaging suggests cancer, the testicle is removed and examined — an operation called orchidectomy, often done as day surgery.
That sounds drastic and is worth putting in context: one remaining testicle usually maintains normal hormone levels and fertility, and a prosthesis can be fitted at the same operation if you want one.
Sperm banking should be offered before any treatment that could affect fertility. Ask about it if it is not raised — it is time-critical and it is occasionally overlooked.
We cannot examine you, and that examination is the assessment. No photograph or video substitutes for it.
If you have found a lump, contact your NHS GP today and ask to be examined. It is free, it takes minutes, and it leads straight to ultrasound where needed.
It is the commonest reason men wait, and it is worth addressing directly.
You can ask for a male GP. You can say at reception simply that it is a personal matter. The examination takes under a minute and the doctor has done it hundreds of times.
None of that is as uncomfortable as the alternative, which is months of not knowing followed by more treatment than you needed.
This can be testicular torsion — a twisted testicle — which is a surgical emergency. The testicle can only be saved within a few hours, so this is not something to sleep on or wait out. It is far more common in young men than cancer is.
Ask to be examined, and ask about an ultrasound.
Most lumps turn out to be harmless — and the ones that are not are highly curable when dealt with early.
Every month of waiting shifts the treatment, not the diagnosis.
The easiest time is in or after a warm shower or bath, when the scrotum is relaxed.
The point is not to become an expert. It is to know what your own normal feels like, so that a change is obvious.
There is no national screening for testicular cancer, because self-examination and prompt action work well enough that a programme has not been shown to add benefit.
Which makes checking yourself the whole strategy.
Nothing you eat, wear or do prevents testicular cancer. There is no supplement, no lifestyle change, and no known avoidable cause.
Early detection is the entire lever, and that is squarely in your hands.
The NHS urgent pathway for a testicular lump is fast and free, with direct-access ultrasound and urology assessment. Nothing private improves on it, and speed is the only thing that matters here.
The most important message is optimistic and worth stating plainly: testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancers there is, with excellent survival even where it has spread. The thing that changes outcomes is presenting early, and the commonest reason men delay is embarrassment.
Free, and how most cases are found: self-examination. Once a month, after a warm bath or shower when the scrotum is relaxed — roll each testicle between thumb and fingers, feeling for a firm, painless lump within the testicle itself. The epididymis at the back is a normal soft ridge and is frequently mistaken for a lump.
What we can genuinely do is arrange urgent ultrasound or referral the same day. We will not reassure anyone about a testicular lump remotely — we cannot examine you, and that is not a distinction to be casual about.
There is no screening programme and none is recommended, so awareness is the whole strategy.
Sperm banking should be discussed before treatment starts, and that is worth knowing early — it is easily overlooked in the rush of a new diagnosis.
Sudden severe testicular pain is torsion until proven otherwise — A&E immediately.
NICE NG12, Suspected cancer: recognition and referral, is the governing guideline. It recommends urgent referral for a non-painful enlargement or change in shape or texture of the testis, and direct-access ultrasound for unexplained or persistent scrotal symptoms.
NICE CKS, Scrotal pain and swelling, covers the differential diagnosis and is explicit that testicular torsion requires immediate surgical assessment, with viability falling sharply after approximately six hours.
The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend screening for testicular cancer, given its low incidence and high curability when presented promptly.
NICE and European Association of Urology guidance cover management, including orchidectomy, tumour marker measurement (AFP, hCG, LDH) and stage-directed treatment.
NICE CG156 and specialist guidance recommend discussing fertility preservation and offering sperm banking before treatment — the basis for the point above.
No — and this is the most important answer here.
Testicular cancer is typically painless. Men assume something serious would hurt, so painless lumps get left for months.
Painless is the usual presentation, not a good sign.
No — it needs examining by hand. That is the assessment, not a preliminary to it.
Contact your NHS GP today. It is free, the examination takes under a minute, and it leads straight to an ultrasound if needed.
You can ask for a male GP, and you only need to say it is a personal matter when booking.
The examination is brief and entirely routine for the doctor. Weigh that minute against months of wondering — which is the actual comparison.
Yes — cysts, varicoceles and hydroceles are all commoner.
Which is exactly why getting it checked usually ends well. The examination and ultrasound settle it quickly, and most men walk out reassured.
If it is cancer, usually yes — and it is worth knowing what that actually means.
One remaining testicle normally maintains normal testosterone levels and fertility. A prosthesis can be fitted during the same operation if you want one.
Biopsy is avoided because it risks spreading the disease, which is why removal is how the diagnosis is confirmed.
Often not — but sperm banking should be offered before treatment, and you should ask if it is not.
It is time-critical and occasionally overlooked in the speed of getting treatment started.
No — injury does not cause testicular cancer.
What often happens is that an injury makes you examine yourself and you find a lump that was already there. That is worth having checked regardless of the injury.
Yes — it is the strongest single risk factor, even if it was corrected surgically.
Tell any doctor assessing you, because it is frequently not in your current records and it changes how a lump is regarded.
Roughly monthly, after a warm shower. It takes under a minute.
The aim is knowing your own normal, not becoming an expert — that is what makes a change obvious.
Almost certainly not, and it is more urgent than cancer.
Sudden severe testicular pain can be torsion, a surgical emergency where the testicle is only salvageable within a few hours. Go to A&E immediately rather than waiting for any appointment.
August 30, 2026
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Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
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