It’s the first of November and as part of our series “No-Shave TODAY”, we’re kicking off our month-long initiative to raise awareness of men’s health issues.
Men may not want to think about testicular cancer — it's not a common disease, but this year, more than 8,000 new cases will be diagnosed. Half will be among men ages 20-34, according to the American Cancer Society.
Fortunately, it’s very treatable and most cases can be caught early. The United States Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend regular medical screening for testicular cancer, but guidelines suggest men should do a self-exam beginning at age 15.
The majority of men, 88 percent, think they should self-examine, but only 14 percent do, according to the TODAY-commissioned report "State of Men 2016," a Berland Strategy online survey of 1,001 adult males.
One of the most surprising findings from the TODAY survey is that only one in five men is very comfortable doing a self-exam for testicular cancer.
In fact, the self-exam is a quick, simple, three-step process:
Start in the shower: The steam will relax your scrotum.
Hold each testicle in your hand one at a time between your fingers and your thumb.
Feel for hard lumps: If there are smooth or rounded bumps on one side but not the other; or if you notice a chance in size, see your doctor.
Movember is the month when millions of men around the world grow their facial hair to raise money for men’s health charities. For more information and to donate, go to Movember USA.
Come back Wednesday for more on men's health with Dr. Mehmet Oz.