A young man is urging boys to “check their balls now” after the small lump he found at age 24 turned out to be testicular cancer.
Tom Haddon, 25, had just embarked on an adventure to Australia from the UK when he first felt a hard, pea-sized lump on his left testicle.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the young salesman admitted he knew he should “get it checked” immediately but, like many men in their twenties, he didn’t and focused on having fun and enjoying his time in Australia.
The GP visit dropped her to-do list for months because it didn’t “seem urgent”, however, if I had the time again I would book it as soon as possible.
‘I swept it under the rug, I just said I’d deal with it. I should have gone sooner,” she said.
Tom Haddon, 25, ignored a lump on his left testicle because he was busy “having fun.” He had just moved to Australia, photographed here in the Blue Mountains, and wanted to explore
Speaking to FEMAIL, the young salesman admitted he knew he should “get it looked at” immediately but, like many men in their twenties, he didn’t.
Six months later, in August 2023, Tom noticed that the lump had grown and finally went to get it checked out.
Alarmed doctors told him it was probably cancer and ordered an ultrasound to confirm it.
The lump Tom could feel was one of three non-seminomatous mixed germ cell tumors growing in his left testicle.
“The others grew on the other side, where I couldn’t feel them,” he said.
The terrifying diagnosis came at a bad time for the enthusiastic runner.
His father, back home in the UK, had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, which meant his family couldn’t fly to be with him as he faced his own battle with cancer.
Tom went to see his GP six months after noticing the lump. A week later he was in the hospital where his testicle was removed.
“I was alone on the other side of the world and of course I couldn’t fly home to support my father, which was what I wanted,” he said.
Tom’s treatment option was relatively simple, but very daunting: he would have his testicle removed as soon as possible.
He was booked to have it removed just a week after confronting the GP. After surgery, he would have to do routine blood tests and scans for the next 12 months to make sure the cancer cells had not spread.
“It was quite difficult, I felt alone and isolated and it was a scary thing to happen,” he said.
After a long period of bed rest following a successful surgery, Tom is now back in action and even fitter than before his diagnosis.
“I’ve run a few half marathons and I feel great,” he said, adding that it “works” just the same.
His father, pictured, was going through his own battle with cancer at home in the UK at the same time. Tom said he was scared and alone in Australia.
“When a testicle is removed, it doesn’t really change anything in testosterone levels or sperm production,” he said.
Tom urges men to see a doctor immediately if they feel a lump in their testicles like he does.
Although he was lucky and the cancer had not spread, not everyone comes out that easily.
“It’s not just about feeling a lump, if you feel a change in the weight or size of your testicle you should also get it checked,” he said.
“When a testicle is removed, it doesn’t really change anything in testosterone levels or sperm production,” he said.
He now urges men to check their testicles for lumps, weight changes and changes in appearance.
He and his friends talk about getting routine checkups all the time. He is now trying to make “awkward” conversation “normal” for all men.
‘I’m happy to have the conversation with anyone. “It was a scary moment, I had a lot of doubts running around in my brain, but I just tried to focus on what I could control, being positive and having a smile on my face,” she said.
Tom is now volunteering as a Movember ambassador and sharing his story to highlight the importance of men’s health and diligence.
Testicular cancer is the leading cancer in men aged 15-34 in Australia. But there is a 95 percent survival rate for men who contract the disease in its early stages.
According to experts at Hopkins Medicine, men typically wait four to six months after finding a lump to see their doctors, which significantly increases the chance of the cancer spreading.
All men should monitor themselves carefully once a month and consult their doctor if they notice any changes.