Cancer Relapse Question

[Dan23]

Hey guys,

Quick question; for us who have had testicular cancer before, and if we was to relapse, would it be in our remaining testicle or could it come back elsewhere?

I'm religiously checking my remaining testicle since the whole ordeal, but I've been told it can come back, near your kidneys, near the lungs, etc. Is this true?

Regards,
Dan.

[Scott]

Dan, cancer in the other testicle wouldn't be a recurrence. Rather, it would be a new primary. A recurrence of your first cancer would be most likely to appear in the retroperitoneal lymph nodes first, lungs second. That's why CT scans and chest x-rays are part of surveillance.

[Dan23]

Thanks for clearing that up; I've just been really concerned as I've been having a dull ache for several days in my remaining testicle, which coinsidentally is the same ache I experienced with my right testicle when I had cancer in it.

So it has left me a little worried. It's not phantom, but I haven't had any change in appearance with the testicle, for example, it hasn't got bigger, I can't feel any lumps, it's just a dull ache.

Thanks,
Dan

[1lessball2answr]

Hey Dan --

I know the feeling! I had a dull ache in my surviving testicle too after my orchiectomy and it reminded me a lot of the ache I had before I got diagnosed. I freaked out and went back to the doctor and had another ultrasound and of course, I was fine. I posted about it on this forum and the pros here gave me good advice (as always) which is that TC is pretty rare in the first place, and getting it again in your other testicle is even rarer than that -- especially so close to having it the first time. I'm not sure why the ache happens, maybe your testicle has to work harder to make up for the one you lost?

Anyway, if you're on surveillance, maybe you can mention it to you dr. the next time you're in, but I think if there's no change in the way it feels or the size then you're probably just fine :-)