Preventive Health, Men's Health, Urology
9/18/2026When did you last check your testicles? If your answer is never, you are in the majority. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 35, and it is among the most treatable cancers when found early. A two-minute check once a month is the whole routine.
Most men ignore this part of their body until something hurts. The problem: early testicular cancer rarely hurts. It starts as a small, hard, painless lump, easy to miss and easy to dismiss. Meanwhile the cancer doubles in size quickly. Monthly checking catches the lump while it stays small, and a small, contained tumor means a simpler surgery and a cure rate above 95 percent.
Do this once a month, after a warm shower or bath. Heat relaxes the scrotum and makes the exam easier.
You are hunting for three things: a hard lump, a change in size, and a change in texture. The classic finding is a small, hard, painless bump fixed to the testicle, often described like a pea on a grape.
The epididymis and the spermatic cord feel like soft tubes, and they run along the back and top of each testicle. A varicocele feels like a bag of worms above the testicle, usually on the left. Both are normal anatomy, and both deserve a mention at a checkup if you notice them.
A hard lump, a testicle growing firmer or larger, a dragging heaviness, or a dull ache in the groin all warrant a scrotal ultrasound. Pain is not always present, so do not wait for it.
Book an appointment the same week for any lump, hardening, size change, or persistent ache. The ultrasound takes minutes and settles the question. Most lumps turn out to be cysts, infections, or benign growths, but you do not find out by waiting.
Two situations skip the clinic and go straight to the emergency room: sudden severe testicular pain, which signals torsion, and a rapidly swelling scrotum. Both need same-day care.
If you want the full picture on the gland sitting right next door, our guide to the prostate covers what every man should know.
The men who skip this exam are the ones who find out late. The men who check find out early, and early is where the cure rate lives. Do not talk yourself out of a lump because it does not hurt. Do not convince yourself a change is normal. Two minutes a month costs nothing, and the alternative is the difference between a small procedure and a full course of chemotherapy.
Testicular cancer treats well when it stays small, and monthly self-examination is how small gets caught. Two minutes in the shower, once a month, looking for hard lumps and changes in size. You do not need to diagnose anything. You only need to notice. When you notice something, the ultrasound does the rest. Most checks come back clean, and the men who check are the ones who never hear the words “too late.”