Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer usually affects men from age 20 to 39. Testicular cancer is uncommon: about 8,250 cases were diagnosed in 2006, with about 370 deaths. This represents only 1 percent of all cancer diagnoses. However, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 34.

Although common sense suggests routine testicular cancer self-exams should catch it earlier, this has not been definitively established. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also does not recommend testicular cancer self-exams. At the same time, there is no reason that men should not do self-exams.

Testicular self-examination is when you (or someone else) check your testicles for any abnormalities. It is important to know what feels normal and to be able to notice any changes. Changes are not always cancer. If it is cancer and you catch it early, you have the best chance for a cure. The best time to check is after a bath or shower when the scrotum is relaxed.

Most testicular cancers are discovered by the men who have them. The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a painless mass (lump) in one testicle. Other symptoms to look for are testicular discomfort, pain or swelling, any change in size or the usual "feel" of the testicle, a sensation of heaviness in the scrotum and/or dull aching in the abdomen, back, or groin.

Many men delay seeking medical attention once they notice something. That’s a shame, since early diagnosis can lead to a better outcome. Everyone is busy – but anyone can spare a few minutes for medical care. And please don’t be embarrassed to death.

And there's an app for that!

F is for February

Now that February is here many of the New Year’s resolutions are a distant memory. Thanks to Elizabeth Pector, MD for a fresh take on the “F’s.”

Even if you stuck with your intention to lose weight for a couple of weeks, chances are you were feeling better. Life is better without chronic heartburn from poor food choices or eating late at night.

Fear is a powerful motivator. If a close friend is diagnosed with colon cancer a patient will be open to booking a screening colonoscopy or mammogram.

Finances are a strong incentive. Many employers will offer a discount on insurance premiums or lower co-pays if patients have well exams or adopt better behaviors. Check with human resources to see what is offered.

This is a good time to counter fallacies with facts. Give the ‘natural remedies’ a try but don’t be too proud to accept help from pharmaceuticals. It’s terrific to get blood pressure until control with diet and exercise but that will take a will. Use medication as needed and then wean off as you are successful in achieving your goals. And remember that you already chose your mother and father – genetic risks don’t go away.

When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

A breath-taking new book (terrible pun) has just been released. It’s a tragic but unfortunately familiar story of a brilliant young man who loses his battle with cancer. What is different here is the author is a physician who steps over the bridge from healer to patient. I first heard of Paul Kalanithi when he published an essay in the New York Times.

Paul Kalanithi was a man of many talents who chose the most demanding of all medical specialties: neurosurgery. He was nearing the end of his training (a seven year program after medical school) when he learned that he had metastatic cancer. 

I read the book in one sitting, but will re-read it again and again. The prose is lyrical. 

Eat the Rainbow

A good start to better nutrition is to add healthy options. “Eating the rainbow” isn't really a ticket on its own from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one, but it is a step in the right direction, especially considering the focus on fresh produce.

The first color in the rainbow is red: fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates and apples; and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, and red cabbage. Many red fruits and veggies are loaded with powerful, healthy antioxidants -- such as lycopene and anthocyanins -- that may do everything from fight heart disease and prostate cancer to decrease the risk for stroke and macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older). Antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals. Lycopene-rich foods also have been shown to decrease symptoms of wheezing, asthma and shortness of breath in people when they exercise.

Flash frozen fruits and vegetables are budget friendly and preserve more nutrient than fresh produce that has spent time in trucks, warehouses and supermarkets. Canned and cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than fresh.

The entire rainbow in a list and some tips to engage the family. 

Calories are cheap. Nutrition is expensive.

The Wall Street Journal’s interview with Tom Colicchio (Top Chef) emphasized his commitment to food and preparing it well.

“What he really wants to do now is change the way people eat. With his nonprofit Food Policy Action, he’s hoping to persuade Americans that food policy should be more prominent in politics. “The idea is, how do you raise the idea of food up to a level of the Second Amendment and reproductive rights?” he says. The problem, he adds, is that “calories are cheap. Nutrition is expensive.”

His goal is to have the government make policy changes that direct farm subsidies away from commodity crops like corn (which often goes into processed food) and toward more fruits and vegetables, to make produce less expensive for consumers. Other changes he’d like to see are healthier school lunches and labels for foods that contain genetically modified ingredients.”

I applaud Colicchio and would like to continue the conversation to include remediating food deserts in our cities and prohibiting junk food advertising. Tony the Tiger should join the Marlboro man in the advertising hall of shame.