This list of questions is intended to help you make the most of your visit to the doctor. It is not an exhaustive list of questions, so be sure to look it over before you see the doctor and add any others that might apply to your specific situation.

Now, since this list is intended to help out at the first visit to the doctor, it is a little broader in scope than the other lists. You may or may not have cancer, and the questions try to reflect that. So, if the doctor tells you that you may have cancer, then look at the first section of questions. If the doctor does not think it is cancer, be happy, but also be aware that testicular cancer is misdiagnosed as epididymitis or something similar almost 30% of the time. The questions in the second section are intended to get a little more information from the doctor as to what they think it is, and how are they going to make sure that it is not something more serious.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions about this list, please feel free to send me an email!

What and Why?

These are general questions that most people have when first confronted with a diagnosis of cancer.

• Why do you think I have cancer?
• What exactly is cancer?
• How can cancer kill you?
• What is the cure rate for testicular cancer?
• Am I going to die or be seriously ill for a long time?
• Why did I get this?
• Do other people my age get this type of cancer?

Making the Diagnosis

These are more specific questions that ask about what happens next. What is the doctor going to do to verify the diagnosis? What tests are going to be done? etc. If you have already had some tests done and they show that there is cancer, then you should probably be reading the next set of questions.

• What tests are you going to do?
  (Note that an ultrasound of the scrotum is the best test to determine if testicular cancer is present. If the doctor is not going to do an ultrasound, ask why not.)
• Why? What are you looking for?
• What will these tests tell you about my condition?
• How certain are you that my tests and the resulting diagnosis will be accurate?
• How long will I have to wait before having the tests done?
  (If the answer is more than a week, don't just say OK. Push to have the tests done sooner.)
• Where will I go for the tests?
• Are they painful?
• How should I prepare for the tests?
• May I go home right after the tests are done?
• How long will it take to get the results?
• How will I find out about the results?
  (Who will call me with the results of these tests? Or, whom should I call to obtain the results?)
• After the tests will you know for sure whether I have cancer and if it has spread?
• If I need to get copies of my records, scans, X-rays, who should I contact?

What comes next?

At this point, who can say? Once the tests are done and the results are in, the doctor will have a much better idea as to what you have and how to treat it. For almost everyone, however, a diagnosis of testicular cancer is followed by surgery to remove the testicle. That surgery will be done by a urologist. Questions that you might want to ask the urologist before surgery can be found here.

If the test results show that you do NOT have testicular cancer, take a moment to celebrate! When you are done, here are a few simple questions that you might want to ask:

• How can you be sure that this is not cancer?
• If it is not cancer, then what is causing my symptoms?
• Does this problem require treatment? How is it treated?
  (Typically most problems down there do not require treatment, but if you are experiencing pain or fertility problems, then you may still need antibiotics or different types of surgery to fix the problem.)
• Should I see you again in order to monitor the situation?

Well, then what is it?

So the doctor has examined you and does not think that it is cancer. This is normally good news, but you have to remember that testicular cancer is relatively rare. A lot of doctors have never seen it before, and they assume that its probably something more common. It is your responsibility to make sure that the doctor is making an intelligent diagnosis. It is also your responsibility to return to the doctor if the problem does not go away like they said it would.

• How can you be sure that this is not cancer?
• Shouldn't you do some kind of tests, just to verify your diagnosis or to make sure that it isn't cancer?
  (Note that an ultrasound of the scrotum is the best test to determine if testicular cancer is present. If the doctor is not going to do an ultrasound, ask why not.)
• If it is not cancer, then what is causing my symptoms?
• Does this problem require treatment? How is it treated?
  (Typically most problems down there do not require treatment, but if you are experiencing pain or fertility problems, then you may still need antibiotics or different types of surgery to fix the problem.)
• Will this treatment eliminate the symptoms or problem?
• When should I see you again to make sure that the problem has gone away?