Posts Tagged ‘Spot’

How To Spot The Early Signs Of Testicular Cancer

Although rare, Testicular Cancer is deadly if left untreated. This is important as it is reported that a lot of men are unconcerned by the need to check themselves regularly for any potential warning signs.
This article aims to provide some information regarding the likely symptoms of testicular cancer. This form of cancer is curable if it is detected early. So read this article and remember it could save your life.
There are three forms of testicular cancer that can be diagnosed. The Seminoma form is the cancer of a single cell in the testicles, non-Seminomas are several cells. These forms of cancer generally affect men between the ages of 15 to 45. Lymphoma cancer usually affects older men, typically over the age of 50 and is much rarer.
The figures recorded demonstrate that the various forms of testicular cancer are still rare. Of all the cancers diagnosed each year, approximately 1% of them are related to the testicles. In the United States 8,000 new cases are recorded each year, of which around 95% make a full recovery. These figures show that early detection can significantly improve the possibility of a full recovery.
So what symptoms are common in the early forms of testicular cancer? Perhaps the most frequent symptom is the discovery of a lump on one of the testicles or perhaps abnormal swelling that may result in pain or discomfort. The pain may be sharp and occasional. In some cases the testicles may shrink.
You may experience a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum or pain in the lower back area or groin. Some men have also reported early signs of testicular cancer in the form of persistent stomach pains.
This can create a weariness or sense of fatigue in your general day to day activities. It is also possible for some men to report no symptoms or not feeling ill or tired prior to diagnosis.
Occasionally, the onset of testicular cancer can be detected through a series of unusual symptoms. Some men have reported a swelling in the breast area or the tissue in the upper torso has become sore and painful. The nipples may also become very sore.
If the initial symptoms have been ignored or they did not display themselves early, then in some worse cases after the cancer has spread it can be detected through other symptoms. Typically testicular cancer tends to spread to the immune system and rarely affects other areas of the body.
Conditions such as tightness of the chest, coughing and problems with breathing are symptomatic of the cancer spreading to the lungs and the lymph nodes.
Of course, it is important to point out that these symptoms are vague and could be something or maybe nothing more than stress-related symptoms. Nonetheless, it is better to be safe and so if you experience any of the above symptoms then you should consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Remember inertia or dismissal of the symptoms will not make it disappear. Make sure that you take a moment each time you take a shower or bath to check your testicles for any irregular lumps or swelling.
Choosing to act sooner rather than later can be the difference between survival and becoming one of the unfortunate 400 men who die of testicular cancer every year in the United States.

How Do You Spot Melanoma?

With the threat of skin cancer growing greater every year, you need to learn how to protect yourself against the disease.
You must get into the habit of covering up your skin with clothing or sunscreen, and not roasting under a baking sun for hours at a time. If you do spend too much time in the sun, a pigment called melanin could be your downfall.
Melanin is the pigment that colours your moles and freckles, and it is responsible for soaking up excess UV rays so that your skin does not get permanently damaged.
Melanin can only handle so much, however, and after a time the excess energy it absorbs from the sun can cause your skin cells to mutate, generally at existing moles. To prevent this disease, you must learn to protect your skin from excess exposure to sunlight! As a backup plan, you will need to know the difference between a regular mole and melanoma; a common form of skin cancer.
So how can you spot melanoma? It can be confusing, since the disease will strike areas of your body that are already dark and lumpy, like moles. A normal mole is an area built up with melanin, stained brown by UV rays.
Ever notice how after a long day in the sun you develop freckles? That is your melanin pigments at work, soaking up excess energy from the sun and protecting your deeper layers of skin.
Without this process, a day in the sun could easily burn you right down into the dermal layer (normal sunburns will affect the uppermost layer of skin, the epidermis). Melanin is important when it comes to protecting you from sun damage, but when you have been overexposed the pigment cannot cope and you may develop melanoma.
There are various signs of melanoma: unusual moles, sores that will not heal, and lumps on the skin that cause pain or itching. When it comes to spotting the disease, it is important that you know your own unique pattern of moles and skin conditions so that a new growth will be immediately apparent to you.
Do a self check once a month so that you are familiar with the state of your skin and will be aware of any changes.
What does melanoma look like? If it has begun from a normal mole, the differences should be easy to spot if you are sure to check regularly. A normal mole is round or ovalish in shape, and will not change drastically in shape or colour over a short amount of time.
While these moles probably will grow after lengthy exposure to the sun, this does not necessarily constitute skin cancer and there is not generally any need to panic if you notice this. The difference between normal moles and melanoma is the shape and colour.
Melanoma will be a dark spot with a ragged edge instead of the usual symmetrical shape, and the colour will probably not be consistent throughout the lump. The shading of the brownish or reddish shape will tend to be darker in one spot and lighter on the other.
If the mole looks like it has gained a life of its own and is trying to spread across the entirety of your body, then you are probably right. Get it checked out by your doctor immediately!
Remember that while skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, it is also the easiest to beat. Self check your skin every month to be sure that all is well with your own collection of moles and freckles, and if something catches you off guard, have it looked at right away.