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Ian Winterton, 30, is an editor. When he was younger he had a testicular cancer scare and went to hospital for tests.
'It was during my first year of university that I suddenly woke up to the possibility of testicular cancer. A good friend of mine developed the disease and, because he'd left it so late, came close to dying. Suffice to say, this prompted me to check myself. I found a lump.
'Despite everything my friend was going through, it still took a month of sleepless nights before I went to my GP.
'I was booked into hospital immediately. The specialist had a good feel - which wasn't much fun, especially as there was a student sitting in with us. Worse, I had to stand there with my trousers and boxers round my ankles while they scanned me.
'The printout could have been an unborn baby for all I knew, but they assured me that it was good news. Sort of. The lump was a varicose vein, which is very common, apparently - just not the sort of thing we talk about down the pub.
'It had heated up my testicles and, as a sample showed, had lowered my sperm count. They put me in for a simple operation that left me sore. Compared to what my friend went through, I got off lightly.
'Today, I'm still a bit neurotic about testicular cancer. But if - God forbid - something bad does develop, I won't hesitate to get it checked. And at least I know that a lump doesn't necessarily mean the worst.'
A suspicious lump can turn out to be just a cyst or fatty tissue. But if in doubt, get it checked!
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