American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [105]
To perform a testicle examination:
• Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Check your testicles and scrotum for any swelling or to see if one testicle seems noticeably larger than the other. (It is normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other.)
• Find the epididymis (the soft, tubelike structure on top of and behind each testicle that collects and carries sperm) to become familiar with the way it feels so you won’t mistake it for a cancerous lump.
• Examine each testicle with both hands. Place your thumbs on top and your index and middle fingers under the testicle you are examining.
• Using both hands, roll the testicle gently between your fingers and thumb. Spend about 30 to 60 seconds examining each testicle.
Roll the testicle between your fingers and thumb
• Feel the surface of the testicle to search for any lump or swelling, no matter how small.
• Repeat the examination on the other testicle.
Skin Cancer Check
All adults over age 20 (especially people who have had frequent, prolonged exposure to the sun) should examine their skin regularly (at least once a month) for any skin changes. Become familiar with your own pattern of birthmarks, freckles, moles, and blemishes. Changes such as a new mole or newly pigmented spot or patch of skin, a change in an existing mole, or an area that continuously grows, bleeds, itches, or fails to heal may indicate skin cancer (see page 119).
How to Perform a Skin Cancer Check
While examining your skin, pay special attention to skin areas that get direct or frequent sun exposure. Make sure you do the skin check in good light. To perform a skin self-examination:
• Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Do a superficial check of your entire body, front and back.
• Closely examine your face (especially your chin, nose, and cheeks), the front of your ears and neck, chest (women should look under their breasts), and abdomen. Check your shoulders. Raise your arms and look at your right and left sides.
• Bend your elbows and look carefully at your forearms, the backs of your upper arms, and the backs and palms of your hands (including your fingernails).
• Use a hand mirror along with the full-length mirror. Lift and part your hair all over your head to see all parts of your scalp. Check the back of your neck and the top and back of each ear.
• Examine your back (upper and lower), buttocks, and the backs of your legs.
• Sit down. Look at your genitals, the front of your thighs and shins, the tops and bottoms of your feet, and the spaces between your toes.
Common Examinations and Tests
One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy is to have all the medical checkups and screening tests your doctor recommends. Some screening tests, such as the fecal occult blood test, are recommended for everybody after a certain age, while other tests are recommended for women or men specifically. For example, the Pap smear is recommended for women (to detect cervical cancer) and the PSA test is recommended for men (to detect prostate cancer).
Pelvic Examination and Pap Smear
A pelvic examination is often performed as part of a routine gynecologic checkup. During the examination, you lie on your back on an examining table with your feet in stirrups and your knees apart and bent. The doctor will insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina to hold it open while he or she checks for any abnormalities in the walls of your vagina and cervix (the opening into the uterus).
In a procedure called a Pap smear, the doctor swabs a few cells from the cervix to send to a laboratory, where they are examined for abnormal changes that could become cancerous. After taking the sample cells, the doctor will remove the speculum and insert one or two gloved fingers into your vagina to check for abnormalities in the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. Your doctor may examine your rectum as well at this time and take a sample of stool for laboratory testing.
The results of your Pap test usually come