Males between 15 years and 34 years have been advised to perform a monthly testicular self-examination to help detect testicular cancer in its early stage.
Dr Prosper Igboeli, a gynaecologist at Fertility and IVF Centre, Karashi, FCT, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
“The best time to perform the self-examination is during or after a bath or shower when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed.
“ To perform the examination, men should examine each testicle separately by rolling it gently between the thumb and fingers, then look and feel for hard lumps or masses or changes in size, shape, or consistency of the testes,’’ he said.
Igboeli described testicles as an important male reproductive organ which produces sperm located in the scrotum under the penis.
He described testicular cancer as one of the most common cancers in young men, adding that it was usually discovered by men themselves or by their spouses as a lump or enlarged swollen testicle.
He also advised that male babies should have their genitals checked by their attendants or parents for congenital abnormalities.
“The genital of male babies could be examined by specialists for “undescended’’ testicle, adding that testicles may not be out but remain in the abdomen, leaving the scrotum empty.
He advised males to endeavour to have regular testicular examination in hospital to help detect any abnormality in the reproductive organ.
“Just as women are encouraged to perform monthly self-examination of their breasts, men are also encouraged to perform monthly examination of their testes to detect testicular cancer early and increase their chances of survival,’’ he said. (NAN)
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