Testicular cancer is relatively rare, with only 9,000 cases a year in the United States, found mostly in young men between 20 and 34 years old. Esquire.com recently published the first-person account of one case, with an otherwise healthy 31-year-old man dealing with surgery, life changes and the long-term effects of excessive radiation.
Scott Petinga, a former Marine who was diagnosed after discovering swelling in his testicles, detailed problems resulting from subpar care, due partly to his physicians being unfamiliar with testicular cancer.
“My doctor was old, he had a pedigree, and I assumed he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, years later, I realized he didn’t have a clue. What I mean by that is the 16 rounds of radiation were excessive, so much so that today the muscles in my upper chest are disintegrating from all the radiation I had 13 years ago.
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.