The risk of developing cancer rises with age, but an increasing number of younger people are being diagnosed with the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
And one cancer in particular is most often found among young men: testicular cancer.
Ohio State University sophomore Grayson Niemi is a proud member of the Buckeyes' marching band, but last semester, he knew something wasn’t right with his body.
“Some soreness and just enlargement and then eventually feeling a lump like while showering,” Niemi explained of his symptoms.
At first, Niemi said, it was thought to be a cyst, but an ultrasound and further testing revealed the lump was something else: testicular cancer. And the disease had spread.
He was just 19 years old.
“It was definitely just scary, you know, especially with the type of cancer I had it, it can impact reproductive health,” Niemi said.
It’s estimated that about 1 in 250 men will develop testicular cancer in their lifetime.
For the most part, it affects young and middle aged men with the average age of first diagnosis being around 33 years of age.
But about 6% of cases happen in children and teens.
“These guys are usually healthy. And so I think what the message should be is if you see something, say something. If something’s abnormal, let somebody know,” said Dr. Paul Monk with the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Monk, who was also Niemi’s oncologist, said early detection of diseases is always important.
- Symptoms of testicular cancer can include:
- A painless lump or swelling in a testicle
- Change in size of shape
- A feeling of heaviness
- A dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin
But there is effective treatment, and because of that, Niemi is back out doing what he loves and is now now cancer-free.
“If there’s a symptom, definitely get it checked out as quickly as you can,” Niemi said.
The American Cancer Society says that for the past several decades, more men have been diagnosed with testicular cancer in the U.S. and many other countries. The cause is still unknown.