Therefore, even though one should be concerned if the test is positive, it does not necessarily follow that the results point to testicular cancer.
His fellow Reddit users urged him to check himself for testicular cancer as soon as the image was posted. The man visited the doctor, underwent the examination, and was found to have testicular cancer.
Does a positive test result indicate that you have testicular cancer? No.
Pregnancy tests, however, should not be relied upon to accurately detect testicular cancer. A home pregnancy test can only detect a small percentage of men with testicular cancer, according to Ted Gansler, director of medical content at the American Cancer Society. Several non-cancerous conditions can cause false positive results. ”.
In order to perform a pregnancy test, the hormone hCG must be found in the urine. Pregnant women produce this hormone, but it turns out that testicular tumors also produce it.
How is it possible?
The tool looks for elevated beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone levels to determine whether or not a woman is pregnant. It’s interesting to note that certain testicular cancers release the same hormone. Consequently, a man’s pregnancy test will be positive if it detects these hormones in his urine. Urologist from Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Dr. Philip Ho said:
The first person to respond to the comic was “goxilo,” who said, “If this is true, you should check yourself for testicular cancer.” Seriously. Google it. Soon, others joined in the call for the young man to see a doctor, including several who claimed to have a background in medicine.
But men should be aware of the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer — and seek medical care if they experience any pain, swelling or lumps in their testicles or groin area.
HCG can, however, appear in men, too, as Minneapolis-based freelance science writer Maggie Koerth-Baker explains in an article posted online last week on Boing Boing. And when it does, bad things are happening. ”.
How would a pregnancy test reveal testicular cancer? Because the test is looking for the presence in a woman’s urine of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). It’s produced when an embryo has attached itself to the lining of the uterus.
The young man in this story was extremely lucky. What are the chances that a man with that particular rare cancer would get bored one day and decide to urinate on a pregnancy test stick?