Detecting testicular cancer and prostate cancer: what men should know

Every autumn, the Movember movement focuses on men's physical and mental health. SWICA provides step-by-step guidance on how to detect testicular and prostate cancer, how to perform self-examinations and when it's a good idea to get checked.
25.09.2025 | 4 minute read
Author:
Content-Team SWICA
When you start spotting moustaches of all sorts, from bristly or fluffy to twirled, you know that it is once again time for "Movember" (a portmanteau of the words "moustache" and "November"). But the striking facial hair adorning men's faces during this autumn month is not just there for aesthetic reasons. The aim is to promote greater awareness of men's health. The fact is that men have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to their own wellbeing. And that has consequences. In Switzerland, men have a life expectancy of 81 years – four years fewer than women.

One thing men should be paying attention to if they want to stay healthy is the early detection of certain cancers.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in Switzerland. According to the Swiss Cancer League, more than 7800 men are diagnosed each year. The prostate is situated under the bladder, surrounds the urethra, and is located next to the rectum. One of the main tasks of this chestnut-sized gland is producing a protein (prostate-specific antigen, PSA) that liquefies seminal fluid. It also makes sure that the urethra remains closed at the bladder, and that seminal fluid does not mix with urine. When you urgently need to urinate, it does the opposite and closes the seminal ducts.

Prostate enlargement ≠ prostate cancer

Prostate enlargement on its own is a benign condition. It is much more frequent than prostate cancer. With age, the prostate enlarges, narrowing the urethra that runs through it. This can lead to a weakened urine stream, a frequent urge to urinate, needing to go to the toilet at night, taking a long time to urinate, and pain when urinating. If you experience these symptoms, you should not wait too long to get checked out and treated so that you can prevent them from leading to kidney damage due to a backlog of urine.

Prostate cancer develops very slowly and does not always lead to health complaints, which is why it often goes undetected in its early stages. If prostate cancer is detected early enough, when the tumour is still confined to the prostate, it is often treatable. At an advanced stage, after the tumour has already grown into the surrounding tissue or metastases have formed, it can no longer be treated. However, tumour growth can sometimes be delayed for years. 

How is prostate cancer detected?

To detect prostate cancer early on, men need to get examined even if they do not have any symptoms of the disease. This is so that cancer can be detected at the earliest stage possible. There are two types of examination:

PSA can be detected even in small amounts in the blood. In the case of a prostate disease such as enlargement or cancer, more PSA is released into the blood, causing the level to rise. A small blood sample taken at regular intervals can determine whether there is an elevated PSA level or if it has increased over time, in which case a further course of action can be decided on.
During this examination, the medical specialist inserts an index finger into the patient's anus and feels the prostate through the intestine wall. If irregularities such as hard lumps are found, this could be a sign of prostate cancer.

Men aged 50 and older should have a PSA test every one to three years – especially if a close relative (father or brother) was diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65, or if multiple relatives have had prostate cancer, regardless of their age.

Screening examinations can sometimes give false-positive results, raising suspicion of a possible disease, which then lead to further examinations and emotional stress. This should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to be screened or not. A preventive check in SWICA's Benecura app can also be a good way to see whether a check-up is recommended.


Testicular cancer

Every year, according to the Swiss Cancer League roughly 480 men in Switzerland are diagnosed with testicular cancer. This is the most common type of cancer in men under 40. And this figure also makes it clear that older men are not the only ones who are affected by testicular cancer. Men with undescended testicles or a history of testicular cancer in the family, especially those with a brother who have had it, are at increased risk of the disease.

How is testicular cancer detected?

Testicular cancer can be detected early on. The main signs are an often the painless enlargement, swelling or hardening of the testicle. To detect it early, men are advised to perform a self-examination at least once every six months from the age of 27 onwards. The best time to examine the testicles is after a hot shower. This is what you do:

Hold the scrotum in the palms of both hands. This lets you use the thumbs and fingers of both hands to feel the testicles.
Then palpate the testicles individually, paying attention to any swelling, slight enlargement or changes in firmness. Behind each one you will be able to feel the soft tissue of the epididymis, which stores and transports sperm.
Finally, examine your testicles in front of a mirror for any external abnormalities such as swelling or enlargement.

If you notice a change or feel any painless hardening or swelling, or experience pain in the testicle area, a feeling of heaviness or pulling in the testicles and groin or swelling or pain in your chest, you should consult a medical specialist. This does not necessarily mean that you have a tumour. Pain and swelling can also be caused by benign conditions such as epididymitis or a hydrocele.

But you should still take the symptoms seriously and consult a urologist, who will usually be able to confirm or reject the diagnosis with blood tests and an ultrasound. The santé24 telemedicine service is available around the clock for a consultation if you suspect testicular cancer, and can be contacted as a first point of contact or for a referral.

How is testicular cancer treated?

The treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. Usually, the affected testicle is surgically removed. Since in most cases only the affected testicle is surgically removed during the orchiectomy, this has no effect on the man's ability to father a child. To be on the safe side, you can also get your sperm frozen (cryopreservation). Usually, the remaining testicle is able to produce enough testosterone so that normal male functions (libido, ability to have an erection and orgasm) remain intact.

For SWICA customers: santé24 and Benecura

In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 online practice free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach.

SWICA customers can also use the Benecura medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.

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