If your male loved one was doing a check on himself for testicular cancer and they noticed something. The first thing is stop don’t panic it could be something as simple as an enlarged lymph node. You still need to call the doctor and make sure they are checked as soon as possible. The good thing about testicular cancer is that when it is caught early it is very treatable.
When you call the doctor the first thing they will do is a physical exam. The physical exam will be a basic exam where they will feel for enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, and groins. The doctor will then have him lower his pants and check above the area and then he will feel the testicles. If you are taking a child in to the doctor you need to tell them this part will happen because for their whole lives they have been told no one should touch them there but a physical exam is the first step in detection.
If the doctor feels anything abnormal he will be sent for an ultrasound of his testicles. Now again if it is a child you will want to explain the procedure first so they know it will not hurt. The ultrasound exam for this is very similar to the ultrasound women get when a lump is found in their breast or even when a woman is pregnant.
They will be asked to disrobe from the waist down and then cover over with a blanket. The ultrasound tech will come in and then put a gel on the testicles and on their exam wand. The tech will press down on the testicle to make sure they get a good view of what is going on in there. They will check for blood flow, fluid buildup and any solid masses. When the test is done they will be given a towel and asked to get dressed. The tech will show the images to the radiologist who will decipher the report and send it to the doctor that referred you.
The results are very quick to get. The doctor may also ask for a blood draw to check for tumor markers in the blood.