Testicular Cancer and Adolescents

[skeptic]

In our local district, we just found out that a recently passed Eagle, only 17, passed away after a year and a half fight with testicular cancer. His father asked that all of us be aware that this cancer is the worst one for young men between 15 and 35, and encourages parents and their teenage sons learn the signs to look for. If it is diagnosed early enough, the treatment success if pretty high; but once it reaches a certain stage, it is likely to be fatal.

 

So, please Google it and counsel your sons on how to do self exams, and what other symptoms they should not just ignore.

[jhankins]

Thank you for sharing this. Testicular cancer and its screening hits home for me as my son is at risk with a 70% chance of developing it within the next 5-15 years due to an illness and birth defect.

 

Early detection is key, and no matter how uncomfortable it might seem to bring it up and discuss it, the treatments and diagnosis are far worse.

[SeattlePioneer]

Nope. Not a part of the Scout program in my opinion.

 

Something for doctors and parents.

[Scoutfish]

WEll, I see both side of it. As a cancer survivor myself, I totally get and respect the idea. But at the same time, if you make a meeting of it, I see more time spent snickering and giggling on te scouts part ...to the point that they might not get the seriousness of it.

 

Definantly type of an informative flyer about it. List links to websites that offere the nest data about it.

Bring up awareness and be sure it is something they are aware of.

 

But I wouldn't really have a meeting or in depth discussu=\ion on it. That part is for mom and dad to handle.

 

My cancer was Melanoma. You cannot treat Melanoma with radiation or chemo. Survival rate is around 3%.

 

Mine wasn't even on my skin but in my lymph nodes. Took 20 years to develop after getting sunburned really bad.

 

So I mention a little bit of sun safety to our scouts, and I tell people the dangers. But after that,it's up to mom and dad to handle it.

 

Bring it up and make them aware during a health and fitness related activity , acheivement or MB.

[skeptic]

So, where did I suggest making this a scouting program. It was simply posted to hopefully make those reading here more aware of the problem. It is important to the age group with which we work.

 

I really do not understand Seattle's comment. Some things posted are information only, not actual scout issues. It seems clear enough to me.

 

JMHO

[jhankins]

I didn't see any mention of this being part of scouting, but a reality for our own children.

 

 

[acco40]

Testicular cancer is one of those rare diseases that is not an "infant" or "child" cancer and is not a malady for seniors either. It is, as the poster suggested, most common between puberty and mid-30s. Most common age is mid-20s.

 

I am a MBC for Personal Fitness. Part of that badge is to know the warning signs of cancer - all of them. Also, counselors may add "more" information that just is what is in the pamphlets. This is and appropriate topic during the interaction between the MBC and Scout for this MB.

[Beavah]

Yah, what acco said, eh?

 

Personal Fitness MB is da perfect place to alert boys to this kind if issue. If MBCs take their role seriously, they will save some lives. Plus, counseling sessions tend to be smaller groups of lads, where the sniggers are less likely. Leastways, as long as da badge isn't done at one of those classroom lecture badge events.

 

Beavah

[Nike]

Well, I've had my eyes opened. I would have never thought of testicular cancer as a danger for my teen.

 

And, if breast and reproductive health is part of a teen girl's education, testicular health should be just as much a part of a boy's.

 

 

[Eagledad]

Yes, just like Scoutfish, I am a survivor of Melanoma Skin cancer and my scouts knew it every time we started the day outside. I was seen, and "heard", slathering sunscreen on my exposed skin and asking everyone else if they put theirs on yet. The stuff was the heaviest thing in my pack. Anyway, I didn't harp them, but it was pretty close. It's the exposure to the sun during the teen and young adult years that gets us later. I only had to show them my scar for them to understand why. They were good kids and rarely gave me to hard a time about my nagging.

 

Barry

 

[acco40]

My college roommate, one of my best friends, died of melanoma two years ago. He was only 52 and otherwise in perfect health.

 

He had a small biopsy from his back about 20 years ago and when rechecked a month or so later was given a clean bill of health. The doctors now say they goofed, didn't get it all and his immune system was fighting it for about 15 years before he had any symptoms (brain tumor). He was my first exposure to Boy Scouts - camping at 18 year olds I thought he was nuts trying to set up a three pan dishwashing system. What a tragic loss of life.

[Scoutfish]

Well, I understand where anybody "might" make the connection that tou "associated" it with the program.

 

Guess we all do it all the time: read something and presume that it's gonne be introduced into or a part of the progream. Kinda like when somebody asks a question about "A", and we not only answer the question about "A", but throw in our $.02 about "B", "C", "D", "E", "F", "G", and "H".

 

Nobody asked us..... but we presume.

Anyways, back to my original comment: I'd bring it up during a fitness or health Activity badge or MB. Bring it up for awareness and if questions are asked, go a little more in depth.

 

 

Awareness is key to everything.