From Spotlight on Health May/June 2008

22-year-old: Cancer doesn’t equal death

In spring 2004, Nick Warren graduated from Sartell High School and was just weeks away from fulfilling his dream -- joining the U.S. Air Force. Shortly before he was to be sworn in, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. His plans were put on hold.

His symptoms started as a dull pain in his right testicle that became more and more uncomfortable. He noticed one testicle was larger and more tender than the other.

“I felt like I’d been kicked there,” Warren said. “I knew something was wrong so I made a doctor’s appointment. I went alone because I was too embarrassed to tell my parents.”

Warren saw Douglas Brew, M.D., CentraCare Clinic - Heartland, his primary physician since childhood. Brew examined Warren and sent him immediately to St. Cloud Hospital for an ultrasound. He had the results in three hours.

It looked like cancer.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening,” Warren said. “I wanted to do this myself, but when I realized how serious it was, I wished I’d brought my mom.” The next day, Warren saw urologist Gregory
Parries, M.D., Adult & Pediatric Urology, who told Warren he could perform surgery that day.
In a 45-minute outpatient procedure, Warren’s right testicle was removed.

After surgery, Warren became a patient of Medical Oncologist Hani Al-Khatib, M.D., Coborn Cancer Center. His treatment included two cycles of chemotherapy.

“Testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers; higher than 90 percent,”
Al-Khatib said. If the patient has been cancer-free for two years, we consider him cured. We check every year from then on.”

Warren was declared cancer-free Oct. 26, 2006. He is a typical 22-year-old who attends St. Cloud Technical College and is majoring in advertising.

“My advice to others would be to make sure to check yourself routinely, and don’t be embarrassed if you find something,” Warren said. “Make sure you let someone know and get to a doctor as soon as possible. Having cancer does not equal death.”

Compared with other types of cancer, testicular cancer is rare. Yet it is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34. In the United States, from 8,000 to 9,000 cases
are diagnosed each year. Because early detection is critical, experts recommend monthly testicular
self-examination after a hot shower or bath, when the scrotum is looser. Men should examine each testicle, feeling for pea-shaped lumps.

Learn more about testicular cancer in our health library.