Why failing to check your testicles often could lead to deadly ‘cannonball lung’, warns doctor

• If testicular cancer is not treated, tumor clusters can form in the lungs
• Emergency doctor warned man to have his testicles checked regularly
• Read more: How to keep your crown safe: everything you need to know

A simple 10-second self-exam can mean the difference between life and an aggressive cancer that causes bullet-shaped tumors in the lungs.

Testicular cancer is the main cause of a condition doctors call “shell lung,” in which the disease spreads to the lungs and forms a scattering of rapidly growing tumors.

The chance of survival drops from about 96 percent if caught early to 73 percent if the cancer has spread beyond the testicles to the lungs.

After seeing this situation with a young patient, Dr. Sam Ghaly, a Florida-based emergency department physician, took to Twitter to warn people about the deadly risks.

in voice recording In a post on a social media site, he talked about a man in his 20s who went to the hospital because he couldn’t stop coughing and was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs.

Ghali said the tumors, which looked like cloudy masses on chest X-rays, were a classic case of “shell metastasis.”

Testicular cancer is almost always treatable if detected early through self-examination.

If testicular cancer is contracted before it spreads throughout the body, nearly 99% of testicular cancer patients will survive. If the cancer spreads to lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen, the rate decreases slightly to 96 percent.

However, if the cancer is left untreated and spreads further, it often spreads to the lungs.

The number of men with testicular cancer who develop bullet-shaped nodules in their lungs is difficult to quantify.

Whether cancer spreads to the lungs or other organs depends on the individual patient’s physiology. A subtype of testicular cancer called non-seminoma is more likely to metastasize compared to seminoma, which tends to grow and spread more slowly.

Bullet-like lesions can also be caused by other types of cancer, such as those of the kidney, breast, or colon.

Dr Ghali told his 472,000 Twitter followers: “I immediately noticed large, round, very well-circumscribed lesions in both lungs.”

“There are too many to count. This is a classic symptom known as shell metastasis.”

Testicular cancer is relatively rare, with approximately 0.4% of men being diagnosed with testicular cancer at some point during their lifetime.

However, this is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 44.

Dr. Ghali said, “I wanted to share this case with you because this young man was coughing nonstop and finally got tested…but he was unable to get tested for a testicular mass. ” he said. He noticed it and actually kept getting bigger.

“We see this all too commonly. The human nature of denial is so powerful. People just tell themselves it’s nothing, it’ll go away. And before they know it, only time will tell. It passes, you get used to the things you’ve been putting off, and by the time you check out, it’s too late.”

Men’s health experts have long advocated increasing self-exams as an easy, non-invasive way to make sure everything’s okay and doesn’t require the attention of a trained medical professional. Ta.

Dr. Ghali added, “Everyone listening, if you notice a lump, lump, anything strange, please get it checked out.”

The entire self-test takes approximately 10 seconds. A man places his fingers behind his testicles with his thumbs in front.

Using the pad of your finger and thumb instead of the tip, gently roll your thumb up and down the front and sides of the testicle, then back down.

Do this on both sides and your testicles should feel smooth and hard. If you feel a lump (hard, sometimes the size of a pea), your doctor may need to reexamine you.