‘I ignored my cancer symptoms’

When Colin Osborne became aware of a dull ache in his groin he ignored the symptoms.

When he first noticed a lump in his testicles no alarm bells rang. Had it not been for the insistence of his wife, a radiographer, Colin admits he might have delayed even longer before he visited his GP. But she bullied him to make an appointment and a doctor delivered the shocking news that Colin, aged 40, had testicular cancer. Operation Cancer, he now admits he would have been able to fight much easier if he had gone to the doctor sooner. “I was diagnosed when I was 32. Men are not as educated as women Colin Osborne “I had become aware of a problem. I was leaning over a desk when I felt a dull ache and I thought I had pulled something and I just ignored it and ignored it. “Then I felt a lump and it did not ring any alarm bells with me. “But it did set alarm bells ringing with my wife. “I knew nothing about testicular cancer and nothing about self-examination.” The doctor confirmed Colin had testicular cancer and he needed to have his testicle removed. But the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and he needed chemotherapy and a cocktail of drugs. “After three months I had four courses of chemotherapy and I went into remission. “I was in remission for three weeks and then it was back in my lymph nodes and I had a mass in my pelvis and in my lungs.” He was given more drugs, but nothing worked and his survival rate slumped to just 20%. “That was the first time I thought I was not going to pull through. I thought that at this stage I had about six months to a year to live, but I only had two months.” Drugs Doctors gave him the breast cancer drug Taxol and his tumours started to recede. He had a stem cell transplant and more chemotherapy and finally had his infected lymph nodes removed. In total Colin’s treatment took 18 months, but he said that if he had acted soon his cancer might not have spread and could have been dealt with in just three months. “I am lucky I am still here. Men are not as educated as women. Women have smears and breast examinations and men need to become as aware of their own health.” But Colin is not the only man living in ignorance of his health. Statistics for Men’s Health Week show that men take on average 14 weeks between spotting a possible symptom of testicular cancer and seeking medical advice. Despite more than 17,000 men a year in England and Wales being diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, just one in 10 men is aware of his risk. Many men admitted they did not know where the gland was located, or what it did. Men also admitted to a lack of knowledge of sexual health and sexual health services. (Source: BBC, Sunday, 8 June, 2003, 23:52 GMT 00:52 UK, Jane Elliot)