‘Movember’ focus on men’s health: ‘I tell them I have testicular cancer, they don’t even know the word’

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (WAVY) — This November, WAVY-TV 10 and FOX43 are participating in “Movember.” The month raises awareness about the key issues of mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

All month long we’re featuring stories on the importance of men’s health. This week, we have a story about one man’s fight against a type of cancer many are reluctant to talk about.

Three days after his fifth surgery, Camdan Turner talked candidly about the cancer.

“Pride-wise, it destroys you,” he said.

The 23-year-old has a type of cancer that some of his young friends have laughed about.

“You know, I tell them I have testicular cancer and they don’t even know what ‘testicular’ is. They don’t even know the word because they are so used to hearing other words for the area,” Turner told WAVY.

Testicular cancer affects about one in every 250 men.

Oncologist Dr. Mark Fleming with Virginia Oncology Associates explains.

“Testicular cancer is very common in young men so really age 18 to 40,” he said.

Fleming recommends young men perform monthly self-exams.

“That’s really the way that you find out one of the early symptoms, it is usually a mass that they might feel,” he said.

Turner waited months to seek help after first feeling a lump. He waited until he could no longer stand the pain.

“Nobody ever told me ‘Hey, go get checked.’ We were always taught that’s weird, you know, don’t do that,” he said.

The disease spread from his right testicle to his stomach, leg and neck.

“The great news about testicular cancer is it’s one of those cancers that even if the disease has spread, we can often cure men,” Fleming said.

Two years in, Turner is still fighting with his fiance by his side. Together, they’re determined to raise awareness. Turner said one day, God willing, they’ll raise a family of their own.

“That’s what we look forward to. That’s what keeps us going,” he said.

For more information on the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer, click here.