Published Aug 5, 2024

27-Year-Old Man Thought ‘Sore & Swollen’ Testicle Was From a Soccer Injury, But It Turned Out To Be Cancer

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Learning About Testicular Cancer

Liam Landers, 27, experienced swelling and pain in his right testicle after an opposing soccer team player mistakenly hit his groin area. But when the swelling didn’t subside and a mass was found in his testicle, further testing revealed he had cancer.
Landers’ testicular cancer diagnosis has inspired him to become an advocate for the disease and encourage other men like himself to seek medical advice was something feels off with their body.
Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms such as a small mass in their testicle as an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.
Self examinations are incredibly important when it comes to screening for testicular cancer. Men aged 15 to 55 should perform a monthly self-examination to find any changes in the testes that might indicate cancer at an early stage.
According to the National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer is often diagnosed in men between the ages of 20 to 39 years and it’s a disease that can usually be cured.

Liam Landers, a 27-year-old man from Chelmsford, England, initially thought a soccer injury, which involved a player on an opposing team mistakenly hitting his groin area, was the reason his right testicle was “sore and swollen” days later—but it turned out to be cancer.

When the painful incident took place, Landers was able to continue playing the game, however, the pain in his testicle remained and he decided to get checked by his doctor when his testicle enlarged and felt hard to touch, he revealed in a recent interview, according to the Daily Mail.

Landers, who plays for a team called the Old Chelmsfordian, is sharing his story to motivate other men to get annual scans and seek medical advice when something feels unusual.

“l’m trying to raise awareness to help others spot it as quickly as I did,” he insists.

Landers explained, “Getting bashed in the balls saved my life. The urologist said there can be no symptoms of it [testicular cancer] so getting bashed in the groin flared up something that I didn’t know about.

“If I’d not had that incident at football I could probably be dead now, in a hospice or really fighting for my life. We were both going up for a header from a corner and then we collided, the other player’s hand accidentally bashed me in the balls.”

Liam Landers (Kennedy News and Media/Daily Mail)

He then admitted that it normally would be painful to get hit in the groin but the feeling ordinarily subsides.

After the soccer collision, Landers observed his “right testicle was really sore and swollen” and thought it arose from the soccer hit.

“As the days passed it got no better and the whole testicle tripled in size. One day I was checking it and it almost instantly in my hand went rock hard, it was like a stone,” he continued, as per the Daily Mail.

“‘It was the most bizarre thing ever, it was like an out-of-body experience.”

After seeing his doctor twice in two weeks, a tumor was found following his CT scans, ultrasounds, PET scans, and blood tests.

Landers ended up having his testicle removed, a surgery he described as “scary” and “very overwhelming,” adding, “It all happened within two or three weeks, from not knowing anything about it to it being gone and in recovery.”

Two months after undergoing surgery, he underwent intense chemotherapy for three weeks to make sure the cancer was removed completely.

Now, Landers feels so “lucky” to have beat the disease that he hopes other men won’t ignore their health issues and get checked when needed.

Understanding Testicular Cancer

A testicular cancer diagnosis is rare, but it is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in young men. Depending on the stage, the disease is considered extremely treatable. Treatment options can include chemotherapy and radiation, but often the first line of treatment is surgery to remove the testicle which contains the cancerous cells.

Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms such as a small mass in their testicle as an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.

“It’s not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, previously told SurvivorNet.

Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer

Dr. Posadas says some men may even notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer. “This symptom is less common, but always bad,” he said.

Other symptoms can include:

Breast growth or soreness
Early puberty in boys
Low back pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
Belly pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
Headaches or confusion (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)

Dr. Posadas urges young men to seek medical care if they are having symptoms. “Most men under the age of 40 tend not to think about seeing a doctor they need to know to advocate for themselves,” he said.

Screening for Testicular Cancer

Testicular self-examination is one way to screen for this disease, Dr. Posadas says.

“It takes less than a minute,” Dr. Posadas previously told SurvivorNet. “Rub testicles through your fingers looking for any sore areas. Rub the top of the testicle, particularly the delicate epididymis. (The epididymis is a tube at the back of the testicles which stores and carries sperm.)

“Don’t squeeze real hard on there. [You should] look for a smoother feel; if you feel a hard nodule on there, you may require blood work from a urologist. [Testicular cancer] is highly curable, even when it’s advanced.”

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Bradley McGregor, clinical director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, also emphasized the importance of self-examinations.

“It is recommended that men aged 15 to 55 perform a monthly self-examination to find any changes to help find the cancer at an early stage,” Dr. McGregor said. And if someone spots any of the early symptoms, “he should visit his doctor immediately.” It’s important to be aware of your body and get in touch with a doctor if you notice anything unusual.

Dr. McGregor continued, “Testicular cancer commonly occurs from ages 20-45, but it can occur at any age. The highest risk factor for testicular cancer is a history of cryptorchidism, an undescended testicle, where the testicle does not move down into the scrotum before birth.

“Men with a family history of testicular cancer are at increased risk as well. No lifestyle changes have been shown to definitively reduce the risk of testicular cancer.”

Men Dismiss Symptoms Too Often

When something in your body feels off, it never hurts to talk to a doctor about it. However, this is often easier said than done. Unlike women, who will report symptoms to their doctor but sometimes be brushed off, men sometimes ignore a doctor visit as long as possible.

This was the case for testicular cancer survivor Todd Rosenbluth, who was one of those guys who avoided the doctor at all costs. He led a healthy lifestyle, so he reasoned with himself that a routine check-up wasn’t really necessary. It was Rosenbluth’s wife who pushed him to schedule a visit, and it ended up being be the best decision he could have made. Now, he’s an advocate for early detection.

“My wife definitely saved my life,” Rosenbluth told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview. “Luckily when I caught the testicular cancer it was so early that I’m totally fine to this day, and it’s because of her. Testicular cancer is 99% curable if it’s caught early enough. The only way to catch it is self exam or go to the doctor. If you’re worried don’t be ashamed, guys. Go to the doctor.”