i'm not a blokey but would encourage all men to check themselves.......and ladies....get those smear tests.......

worryingly not enough men do Crunchy... it seems to be a taboo subject.

Kudos for starting a thread.....

*shows moral support*

I think a lot of people presume it won't happen to them. I'm maybe guilty of that mindset really. But when you hear first hand stories about people your age, it gets you thinking doesn't it? I bet people that have been unlucky enough to have it thought it would never happen to them.

I regularly do checks.  On other men for a tenner.

well i think people do have that 'arrogance' crunchy.the 'i'll be ok.i'm fit n healthy it won't happen to me' thing...........i did........put off going for a smear test for ages.....i wasn't scared....just 'didn't get round to it'.....when i finally did i had stage 3 abnormal cells which had i not gone would of developed into cancer over time.......had treatment and got shot of them...had 2 check ups since and both were ok...going for my 3rd check up next month.....it scared the shit out of me

I am too, I never check, but this thread is a useful reminder that I should!

That's the scary part... it is a bit like male breast cancer. It is rare but it can happen. I was listening to the radio the other day - a 28 year old man died of it.

He was 24 when he got it and ignored the symptoms

I check every so often, maybe not as often as I should. Although with the year I had last year I keep getting myself in a tizz over the slightest ailment I have.

This is apparently more likely for men particularly business men who carry their phones in their breast pocket.

So sad.

I can understand why so many people do nothing - fear mainly I suppose.

But it's not really worth it,  now is it?

Caught early, things can be done. If left, it may be too late.

A worthy thread Crunchy.

I have a friend who tucks her mobile into her bra ...  I don't know how many times I have warned her not to

It certainly does happen, and the incidence of testicular cancer is rising. It also tends to be more common in younger and middle-aged men than older.

The thing that woke me up to it was what happened to Alan Stubbs (then of Celtic): he'd just finished playing in a cup final, and took part in a routine dope test. Shortly afterwards, the story broke that there were "irregularities" with his urine sample, and the unspoken suspicion was that he'd been taking banned substances. It turned out in fact that those "irregularities" were unusually high levels of a hormone, which indicated cancer. The day after he was told this, the club sent a car round and whisked him off too hospital, where they conducted tests and prepared him for an operation...

You should check them regularly.   I had to have my boobies scrunched in a mamogram machine last year, and it isn't nice  

Shit! I've just felt my balls and found two lumps there 

Bloody hell really?! Didn't know that

I don't think it's as much of a taboo subject as much as it used to be. Men seem to be quite switched on and will happily admit to checking regularly, which is good news There should be no taboos about cancer, no matter what part of the body may be affected by it.

Don't worry, they probably haven't dropped yet *runs*

Check it, don't wreck it - as someone once said!

*yells at Karma in angry high-pitched voice* 

Check yoself before u wreck yoself u get me *does Ricky Lake guest head and neck wobble*

Why am I hearing Aled Jones circa 1985?

Feather duster.

The things I get up to.

I'm just demonstrating my extensive vocal range ain't I? 

Reading this i have to say maybe a lot of males dont check themselves coz of fear of finding a lump and having to go to the docs with the result, and maybe afraid of hearing the word "cancer"   I reckon there must be loads of males out there that may brush off finding a lump for the above reasons. --Fear.

Lucky bugger What are they doing whilst checking them out?

 Knitting.

The males in this household seem to check them every ten minutes. 

Well, recalling my father's reaction when he had prostate problems (not cancer, thankfully, although we were worried for a while), you may have a point there.

There's definitely a gender difference in attitude. Prostate cancer is actually more common amongst men than breast cancer is amongst women and the mortality rates are about the same. Prostate cancer certainly isn't the "old person's disease" it's often portrayed as either, however there isn't anything like the same amount of publicity or concern about prevention for prostate cancer as there is for breast cancer. There does seem to be an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude towards it...

All the time, even now... one hand typing on the keyboard and the other... well, never mind

Yep, women worry much more about such things than men do. I think men assume they are more robust because they are men. That's not as ridiculous a statement as it may sound if you think about it.

I could say something about only needing one hand but I shan't. I'm not a smart arse

I've thought about it...  

I think we may be related

I'm well overdue for my smear - you've got me thinking. I really should make an appointment.

Please do Soozy,I think I'm due a mammogram this year too,smear is next year..I think.My gp sends out reminders.

Me too Soozy was due when 5months preg, baby is now 7months! Thanx spongey and crunchy.