Doctor recommends monthly self-exams Published Nov. 23, 2010 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Only one or two patients are treated each year for testicular cancer at the 81st Medical Group Hospital, according to Lt. Col. Michael Morris, a urologist with the 81st Surgical Operations Squadron. "The first treatment is typically surgery," Colonel Morris explained. "Then patients either receive close observation, additional surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, depending upon the type of cancer and whether or not it appears to have spread or is at particularly high risk for recurrence. Colonel Morris thinks many men hesitate to seek treatment because of the personal nature of the disease. "Testicular cancer typically presents with a painless nodule on the testicle, so it may not even be noticed unless a man does frequent self-testicular exams," he said. "Since this disease is not typically uncomfortable, I think many men hope that it will go away rather than seeking prompt medical attention." Colonel Morris recommends that men 15 to 35 years old do monthly self-testicular exams. "Testicular cancer, while not common, is still the most common malignancy for men in this age group," he pointed out. "When it's diagnosed early, it's almost always curable. The non-curable cases are typically those with a greatly delayed diagnosis."