Learning About Testicular Cancer
- After surviving testicular cancer twice, “Summer House” star Jesse Solomon, 33, is pursuing his lifelong passion for music, releasing new songs and proving he is more than a reality TV personality.
- Solomon was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2017 after noticing mild pain in his testicles. He underwent surgery and additional treatment before entering remission. Nearly a year later, in 2018, he learned the cancer had returned, marking his second battle with the disease.
- 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.
Solomon, who was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2017 and faced a recurrence less than a year later, recently released his latest single “Wildfire” and concluded his first-ever “Happy To Be Here Tour” on July 23.
Read MoreRELATED: What You Need to Know About Testicular Cancer
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Solomon, who admits he’s now the “happiest I’ve ever been,” added, “When ‘Summer House’ called, I was like, ‘This is at least closer to the entertainment world.’ And it sounded like a fun opportunity.
“Once I was doing that, I was writing music the whole time, so I was like, ‘Let me just put some of these songs out and see how it goes.'”
Referring to how he ultimately worked in finance before joining “Summer House,” Solomon, who studied vocal jazz performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, said, ‘I was never fulfilled.”
“Getting diagnosed with cancer the first time was a scary thing and then when it comes back, it was really a lesson of, ‘You never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow so you might as well live life to the fullest today,'” said Solomon, who has been in remission for approximately seven years.
It’s wonderful to see Solomon doing what makes him happy after cancer.
In an earlier interview with TODAY.com, he shared that he wanted his cancer journey to inspire other men to get checked.
“I want men to know that they should be giving themselves regular physical exams because that’s the best way to be able to tell if there’s something going on,” he said in 2024.
“I caught it early … Maybe it will encourage other people to go and get checked.”
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He continued, “I was super fortunate that I had incredible doctors and my family was super supportive. What if I was in a different situation where I hadn’t caught it early? I’m super grateful.”
In May 2024, Solomon celebrated reaching five years cancer-free, sharing the milestone with his followers in an Instagram post.
Testicular Cancer Resources
- 5 Important Facts About Testicular Cancer, Including How to Screen for the Disease
- 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer
- Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer
- Fear, Anger, Anxiety: You’re Entitled To Your Emotions
- April Is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month; Here’s What You Should Know About The Rare Disease
- Smoking Marijuana May Increase Testicular Cancer Risk: Study
Solomon wrote, “Today we celebrate a slightly delayed but especially sweet five years cancer free. It wasn’t without DRAMMMAAA, but I’m incredibly grateful to my new friends who were there for me when I needed it most, as well as my producers at Truly Original who put my well being far ahead of the show. It meant more to my Mom and I than you will ever know. Thank you to my family and lifelong friends, I wouldn’t be here without you.
“To anyone who connected with my story, is going through treatment or knows someone going through treatment, I’m here with you. You are going to come out the other side of this better for it. That’s a Jesse Solomon guarantee. Love you all.”
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Solomon’s Cancer Journey and Concerns About Possible Recurrence
Solomon, who is one of the main characters on the reality TV show “Summer House,” which airs on Bravo TV and features people living in a mansion, was first diagnosed with stage 1 testicular cancer in 2017 after experiencing some pain in his testicles.
Prior to getting diagnosed, he felt a “twinge of pain” in his testicles. Although he initially thought it was a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, after undergoing tests from his doctor, he learned more about what was happening.
“The doctor called me immediately and said, ‘You got to come back.’ He was like, ‘Hey, so listen, you have cancer. We don’t know for sure if you have cancer, but you’re going to have to get your testicle removed, and then we’ll know for sure,” Solomon explained to Men’s Health.
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Solomon underwent surgery, which he described as “super painful,” but the procedure was successful. Afterward, he was told he didn’t need chemotherapy and that he would need to undergo regular scans a few times a year.
His recurring scans were often uneventful until one scan revealed a concerning trend.
“My blood markers came back elevated. [Solomon’s doctor] was like, ‘Yeah, you’re probably going to need either another surgery or radiation or chemo or a combination,” Solomon explained.
His cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and he was told at the time that by undergoing a combination therapy for treatment, his chances of survival were “pretty high.”
“During chemo, I was fully bald. By the end of it, I was losing my eyebrows,” Solomon said and added he initially felt self-conscious without hair but grew to accept it.
Solomon said he often felt sick throughout his chemotherapy treatment. The flu and pneumonia further complicated his treatment. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel because the treatment was working.
The two-time cancer survivor remains in remission, but he’s admitted he gets nervous about the possibility of the cancer returning one day in the future.
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, with 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 that 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.”
What Life May Look Like After Treatment
If patients have not experienced too many complications from their chemotherapy, “they are often able to go back to many of the same things that they did before they had their diagnosis of cancer and are able to live full and complete lives,” Dr. Michael Jain, medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
If the cancer does return at some point, any future treatment you get will depend on:
- The type of cancer you had
- The type of treatment you received for it
- How long has it been since you finished your treatment
- Your overall health
Making a Survivorship Care Plan
So what comes after successful treatment? “At that point, we often focus on the survivorship issues that they may have, preventing second cancers, and properly following them,” Dr. Jain explains.
A survivorship plan will include a schedule for follow-up exams and tests, plus a schedule for tests to check for any long-term health impacts from your cancer or treatment, and screening for any new cancers.
Your doctor will likely tell you what to look out for in terms of side effects that could show up late or over the long term. Your care team will provide you with diet and physical activity recommendations as part of your survivorship plan.
Moving On From Treatment
It’s natural to feel continuing mental health effects, such as depression and anxiety, even after your treatment ends. This is where you can benefit from a supportive community. Look to strengthen your relationships with friends and family, faith groups, support groups, and mental health professionals to buoy you as you move on from treatment.
In addition to caring for their mental health, people who finish treatment and are in complete remission will want to move on from cancer with a physically healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, staying at a healthy weight, and not smoking are all lifestyle practices that generally contribute to a healthy quality of life.
Indeed, cancer and its treatment might naturally point survivors in the direction of such practices. “Mostly [we’re] trying to maximize the quality of life that people have, because once you have a cancer diagnosis, I think it is an important time in someone’s life where they can take stock and really understand what’s important,” Dr. Jain adds.
Cancer’s Impact on Male Fertility
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can damage sperm in men, and hormone therapy can decrease sperm production, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation treatment can also lead to lower sperm count and testosterone levels, impacting fertility.
These possible side effects of cancer treatment should be discussed with your doctor before starting treatment. Men may have the option to store their sperm in a sperm bank before treatment to preserve their fertility.
This sperm can then be used later as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure in which a woman’s egg is fertilized with sperm in a lab. The embryo is then transferred to a woman’s uterus to develop.
WATCH: Dr. Terri Woodard explains fertility preservation options patients have when going through cancer treatment.
Fertility struggles are also a genuine concern among cancer patients, as certain cancer treatments can cause infertility. Fortunately, in many cases, efforts can be made before beginning treatment to help preserve fertility.
Many couples, at one point or another, experience infertility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says within the U.S., “about one in five” married women between the ages of 15 and 49 with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after trying for a year. Additionally, “one in four” of women in this group struggle to get pregnant or carry the pregnancy to term.
Infertility may affect many cancer patients undergoing treatment due to the impacts of cancer treatment on the body. Various cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, can affect both men’s and women’s fertility. Before undergoing cancer treatment, patients should speak to their doctors about fertility preservation if they wish to have a family in the future.
The American Psychological Association said in its Monitor on Psychology Magazine, “A diagnosis of infertility–the inability to get pregnant after a year or more of trying–can lead to depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems, trigger feelings of shame and failure to live up to traditional gender expectations and strain relationships, say psychologists specializing in infertility.”
Among men, infertility can “cut into a man’s feelings of masculinity” and “can lead to issues of shame and embarrassment,” said psychologist William D. Petok.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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