Personal Stories | Testicular Cancer Resource Center

Frank

Frank had a very bad week, but approached his cancer with a very straightforward attitude.

Nick

Nick had his holidays and medical school interrupted by cancer.

Jerry

Jerry had a large tumor in his belly and spent the holidays getting chemo.

Jacques

Jacques' cancer went from a misdiagnosis to a large tumor in his belly in a matter of months.

Guy

Guy remembered to do his self exams and saved himself a lot of trouble.

Rick

The doctor was treating back pain until a blood test revealed kidney failure. What caused the failure?

Steve

Steve's doctors didn't think he had cancer, nor did they think he needed to bank sperm. They were wrong.

Bill

A long-term survivor shows how seminoma was treated back in the 1970s.

Fred

An avid cyclist, Fred suffered testicular injuries and, as a result, discovered his cancer.

Reed

Reed talks about surveillance and an eventual recurrence.

Ken

Ken is a mid-30s father of two who has been there and done that.

Larry

Larry's story shows why proper follow-up matters, including what happened when his cancer recurred.

Ari

Ari discusses his decision between surveillance and radiation, and what happened next.

Todd

Todd delayed for six months before finally seeing a doctor.

Bill O

Bill shows that TC isn't always confined to younger men. Very active at 48, his life took an unexpected turn.

Vic

Ignoring TC does not make it go away. Vic describes its discovery and his experience with four cycles of chemo.

Brad

Seminoma means radiation, right? Not always. Brad's had spread, and chemotherapy was his answer.

Bob K

Seminoma is usually highly curable. Bob's story shows what can happen when one comes back.

David K

Step inside the world of a very large Stage IIc seminoma, Scotland style.

Captain Jeff

Jeff's mother recounts the events leading up to his TC diagnosis and treatment.

Marc

Seminoma, Holland style.

Ben

Ben's story talks about the ups and downs of testicular cancer.

Chad

Sex, drugs, rock and roll and testicular cancer!

Steve R

A detailed walk through seminoma, radiation, and a long bout with what Steve calls 'vomitfest.'

George

At 45, George paints a good picture of what seminoma treatment is like.

Arlen

Dr. Arlen Smith had cancer, but it did not affect his sense of humor.

Scott

A prior TC family tragedy helped save Scott's life.

Richard

Richard explains why he chose surveillance.

Shawn

Shawn appreciated all the stories and returns the favor.

Andrew

Andrew shares a retrospective view and adds a voice of optimism.

Andrew

Andrew's testicle actually got smaller. Fortunately, he saw a doctor and was quickly diagnosed.

Greg K

Greg tells a story of multiple recurrences, but with a happy ending.

Mark F

Lance Armstrong's seventh Tour victory prompted Mark to check himself out. Guess what he found?

Doug Bank

Doug managed to turn his testicular cancer experience into a graduate-school paper. Read this if you are considering surveillance.

Chris

TCRC founder Chris Brewer describes his in-depth story, covering both the surgical and chemotherapy sides of treatment.

Mike

Mike's wife writes about his TC experience and the lessons they learned together.

Scott

A look at how testicular cancer affects someone already working in medicine.

Jim

Jim spent a lot of time investigating his treatment options, ultimately choosing surveillance.

J. D.

If you are young and feel bulletproof, J.D.'s story may wake you up. If you're wondering whether to see a doctor, read this one.

Roger

Roger lived with testicular cancer for 18 years, experiencing multiple late recurrences.

Elliot

At 31, Elliot discusses his bout with nonseminoma and the decisions that came with it.

Rudy

Most of us know TC strikes young men. Rudy had TC as a baby and takes us through his life afterward.

Bruno

Bruno caught his cancer early, but not early enough to avoid it spreading.

Keith

Third time's the charm? Keith faced not one, not two, but three recurrences after his original diagnosis.

Ron

A wife's tribute to her husband, lost to choriocarcinoma in the early 1990s.

Chris Ingham

Chris gives a detailed account of nonseminoma, RPLND and chemotherapy, plus some added surprises.

Lee

His urologists treated him for a year and made him feel like a hypochondriac. They were wrong.

Dan

An RPLND leaves Dan with some tough fertility decisions.

Offer

TC, Israeli style. Offer had a rough two years of surgeries and chemotherapy.

John S

John describes why it is so important to adhere to your surveillance schedule.

Petter

A Norwegian spin on TC, and a strong example of what can happen when you don't get things checked out.

Ralph

Halfway through his treatments, Ralph provides some good insight into TC.

Greg

Julee shares the darker side of TC, when you have tried everything.

Patrick

Stage III TC takes Patrick through conventional and unconventional treatments.

Laurence

TC hit Laurence while his wife was dying of cancer.

Frank

Frank's brush with testicular cancer helps define his priorities.

Tom the reporter

Tom got inspiration from a famous source and tells about his encounter with Scott Hamilton.

Rodney

Perhaps the second opinion wasn't helpful this time.

Curtis

Curtis' case demonstrates the pitfalls of misdiagnosis and not getting the best advice from the start.

John

John found the TCRC and TC-NET just after diagnosis and writes about how they helped him make good decisions.

Rob

Rob was diagnosed in the late 1970s, when RPLND and retrograde ejaculation were often part of the package.

Greg

Greg tries to decide whether surveillance is the route to go.

John

John's cancer struck while he was in business school, and he had to struggle with misbehaving tumor markers.

Drew

Cancer brings some fear and some changes.

John

Like father, like son is usually a good thing. Not in this case.

Erik

Erik's baseball game turned into a full-fledged battle for his health. He describes how a second opinion saved him.

Grant

A very little lump caused a whole lot of damage.

Peter

Peter got quite a Christmas present in 1979, followed by a whole year of chemotherapy.

David

Shooting pains in the groin led David to an RPLND and a prosthetic testicle.

James

Former Army man James describes his nonseminoma and a real scare some time later.

Andy

Andy was misdiagnosed and ignored for almost a year before discovering his advanced cancer.

Bruce K

Bruce went through chemotherapy and thought he was done, but later needed an RPLND for growing teratoma.

Daniel

Daniel put off seeing a doctor for months, possibly allowing the cancer to spread. There is a happy ending.

JK

JK was in Las Vegas on a business trip. Some trip it turned out to be.

Eric

Eric ignored his lump for a while, long enough for it to spread.

Mike

Mike decided he was done with treatment after only one week of chemotherapy. Bad idea.

Chris

Chris had more problems than usual with his surgery and chemotherapy.

Bruce M

Bruce did extensive research before treatment and shares his thoughts about RPLND and TC in general.

Mark

Mark, a firefighter from Belfast, gives a very animated and honest report on TC, chemotherapy and their effects.

Mike J

Mike got a late Christmas 'present,' but shows how his faith turned a big negative into a positive.

Tyler

Tyler was almost too embarrassed to tell his doctor, but wised up just in time.

Dan C

Dan was working abroad when he discovered his lump.

Eric T

Eric found a lump and knew it was going to be bad news.

Jennifer

Jennifer provides a detailed look at the trials and tribulations of being a TC supporter.

Dance for the Cure

Nella and Joe were happy, married and young. Nella later created an annual Toronto dance fundraiser for TC.

Sharon and Steve

Sharon gives us a detailed look at the process from the supporter's side.

Pattie

Pattie experienced cancer and chemotherapy as a newlywed, and then faced cancer again six years later.

Gina

Gina had just stopped working to become a full-time mom when her world turned upside down and she became a full-time caregiver.

Karen

Karen and Mike were trying to conceive a baby when they discovered an unexpected complication.

Tim

Tim spent years worrying about symptoms before finally getting examined and learning he did not have TC.

Norm

Norm worried about an abnormality for years before learning it was a spermatocele, not cancer.

Hugh

Hugh's scare shows how quickly fear can take over when a lump seems suspicious.

Scott

Scott's story is about the anxiety of thinking you may have testicular cancer and getting it checked.

Peter

Peter found a lump as a teenager and waited far too long before finally getting the reassuring answer.