Testicular cancer
Surviving testicular cancer gave Mark Adams a new lease of life. Trekking through Peru and visiting the Great Wall of China, he admits, just wouldn't have been on his to-do list before.
"It was the middle of 2003 when I noticed a lump in my testicle, while in the shower. It was a complete chance finding. I'd heard about cysts so I didn't think much of it until about mid-September, when I thought it wasn't right and I should do something about it.
"So I saw my doctor and was referred to a specialist for an Ultrasound scan , which confirmed it was cancer. I felt like I'd been hit by a freight train. I thought, 'What if this is the beginning of the end?'
"It was quite hard concentrating and taking in what the doctor was saying, because I was so upset. I had to try to put these feelings aside andto understand what they weretelling me.
"That evening, I had to decide who I should tell. I told my parents over the phone and they reacted very well. I then visited the Cancer Research UK website to do some research about testicular cancer.
"After surgery to remove the testicle, I went to see a consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital. I had two weeks of radiotherapy , which was pretty straightforward, although it does affect you. I had the radiotherapy on my pelvis and stomach, so mealtimes became difficult. I didn't eat much during those two weeks. A couple of nights I felt nauseous and stayed in bed for the whole day.
"One thing I felt was guilt. When you're waiting for your radiotherapy, you're surrounded by people in a much worse situation than yourself. They might be going through chemotherapy , losing their hair and looking really ill, whereas you feel OK.
"Three years later, I could breathe a sigh of relief. Since the cancer was treated, I've been physically healthy and have upped my game. I've done some charity events in China and been to Peru on a BBC documentary, through Cancer Research UK. I've also run the London Marathon.
"No one can ever underestimate the psychological impact of being diagnosed with cancer. But on a positive note, taking myself to the Andes and the Great Wall of China aren't necessarily things I'd have done before. I want to give something back to the charity and do something worthwhile."
This case study wasprovided by Cancer Research UK .
Read about testicular cancer (cancer of the testicle), including information about symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment.
Read about the symptoms of testicular cancer, the most common being a lump or swelling in one testicle.
Read about how testicular cancer is diagnosed using a number of tests including a scrotal ultrasound. A biopsy is the only way to definitively confirm a diagnosis.
Find out how testicular cancer is treated using chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a number of different types of surgery.
Two men who have had testicular cancer talk about their experience and the importance of checking for early warning signs.
Surviving testicular cancer gave Mark Adams a new lease of life.