Diagnosis Testicular Cancer

I found a strange little bulge in my groin area one day. At first I thought maybe a testicle had somehow migrated up or something weird like that. I visited Dr. Stubbs, my primary care provider about this concern. She referred me to a surgeon in American Fork. Dr. Peterson diagnosed an inguinal hernia. However there were several other symptoms that I described and it caused him a lot of concern. He told me that it sounded like I had more than just a hernia. The hernia was uncomfortable and painful. I hated feeling like a snake was crawling down my leg.

An inguinal hernia occurs when soft tissue, usually part of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity (omentum) or part of the intestine, protrudes through a weak point in the abdominal muscles. My hernia looked like a bulge in the groin area that became more prominent when standing up.  The bulge would disappear when I laid down. I tried to manage the hernia wearing a special support underwear but it seemed to get worse as time went on. I wanted to avoid having the hernia becoming 'incarcerated' which would require emergency surgery. As the hernia progresses, intestines can descend into the hernia and runs the risk of being pinched within the hernia, causing an intestinal obstruction. I visited Dr. Stubbs again when I felt a another bulge in my abdomen, a firmness. She consulted with Dr. Savage and they both agreed that I should get a CT scan. I resisted getting a CT Scan. I kept denying that anything was really wrong.

After the CT scan, I got a call from Dr. Stubbs, the scan revealed a large tumor mass. I had a very difficult time accepting the diagnosis of cancer. Yes, I had a large tumor mass in my abdomen and I had a lot of unexplained sickness and fatigue. When Dr. Stubbs talked to the radiologist, she felt that the best course of action would be to immediately check me into the oncology ward. It was her fear that my life was in jeopardy. However, I felt confused and upset by this course of action. I didn't see how sitting or laying in a hospital bed would make a difference and I'm always wary of hospitals because of the risk of infection, i.e. Staph. I talked to Dr. Stubbs and she related how the situation came across to her. The radiologist was alarmed by the size of the tumor mass and wondered how I could walk. She hoped that I could stay in the hospital a few days and get the tumor removed as soon as possible.

Cancer therapy is much more complicated and requires some analysis to determine what kind of cancer is present and a qualified Oncologist to evaluate the best treatment options. This led me to scheduling a biopsy. A core needle biopsy (CNB) is performed using a hollow needle to withdraw small cylinders (or cores) of tissue from a tissue mass. I was given an anesthesia where I remained awake and aware that there was a needle being stuck in my back but not feeling any pain. The doctor placed the needle into the mass using an x-ray image to guide him. The first biopsy took 5 samples but the test came back with no results because all of the tissue sampled was dead. It left a small bruise in my back and was sore for about a week.

I was upset at the results and a little irrational. I refused to talk to  Dr. Stubbs or the surgeon Dr. Peterson for several weeks. I was upset because of the cost, hassle and trouble this whole process required. I talked to another surgeon and scheduled another core needle biopsy that would take a sample and a doctor would be present to analyze each sample until they got enough live samples. This test required 25 samples and 5 were live samples. They had drawn some fluid which indicated that the tumor had grown so fast that some of the tissue in the core had died and became liquified.