Free Republic

A Brazilian testicular cancer awareness group has created a mascot for the cause that is beyond disturbing. Say hello to Mr. Balls, or “Senhor Testiculo”, the wide-eyed, dual-toothed, rosy-cheeked, mole-sporting scrotum that will cause a lifetime of nightmares for anyone who lays eyes on him. The little curly hairs are an especially nice touch.

When a young person develops cancer, doctors most often assume that genetics are the reason, because the patient hasn’t lived long enough to accumulate environmental damage. But it’s been hard to find the faulty DNA behind many tumors. Now, using new genomic technology, scientists have discovered a novel explanation for some testicular cancers, the most common cause of cancer in men under 35. Rather than being triggered by a single gene mutation, the tumors are caused by too many or too few copies of a gene in a person’s cells. These “copy number variations” have been linked to other conditions...

Testicular cancer patients who do not respond to traditional therapy can be cured with high-dose chemotherapy and stem cells, says a U.S. study. About 90 percent of testicular cancer patients respond to traditional therapy, which involves multiple courses of cisplatin, first used successfully in the treatment of this disease by Dr. Lawrence Einhorn at Indiana University Cancer Center in the early 1980s. The review looks at the outcome of 184 patients with metastatic testicular cancer who received carboplatin chemotherapy at five times the dosage administered to men receiving initial therapy. A side effect of the high dosage is a reduction...

My fellow FR's, I didn't think I would ever do this, but I need your help. My dear brother, very best friend and mentor was diagnosed yesterday with testicular cancer which has spread into his stomach. He is 1.5 weeks shy of his 45th b-day. The phone rang last night about 10:45 and on the other end was my brother and he was crying. As I haven't seen/heard my brother crying since he was a kid I immediately thought somebody in the family had been in a terrible accident or had died. He finally told me that about the cancer...

A star he is ~ but it could have been different. Lance Armstrong could have well been an abortion statistic. His mother was a 16 year old unwed mom and poor. But she did the right thing and was a continual source of support and inspiration to Lance throughout his life. Linda, then a supermarket checkout girl, had got pregnant at the age of 16 and gave birth to her son when she was only 17. The pair enjoy an exceptionally close relationship, which Linda puts down to the fact that "we grew up together". Armstrong took on the...

This is a health warning to all the men out there regarding testicle cancer. I just returned from surgery to have cancer removed. I discovered it 2 months ago when bathing. I had my doctor check it, he sent me for an ultrasound and a cat scan, and a week later I was having it removed (hey, I still have a spare). This cancer is very treatable, but a lot of men are either embarassed or don't think it will happen to them. But it is somewhat common as cancers go. I still may have to go for follow up...