Testicular versus breast and colorectal cancer screening: early detection practices of primary care physicians. 1995

T R Misener, and S G Fuller

Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumor among men 20 to 34 years old, and it accounts for one of every seven deaths in late adolescent and young adult men. However, studies during the past 20 years continue to show that a majority of men in the most vulnerable ages are unaware of their risk for testicular cancer, deny having had testicular examinations as a part of their routine physical assessments, and lack knowledge of testicular self-examination techniques. This descriptive study used a mailed questionnaire and evaluated self-reported testicular cancer detection behaviors among primary care physicians (N = 116). Breast exams and colorectal screening were included for masking and comparative purposes. Forty-nine percent of the physicians reported routinely performing age-appropriate testicular exams on patients, in contrast to performing breast (83%) and colorectal exams (68%). Instructing male patients to perform testicular self-examination was reported as a routine procedure by 29%, and breast exams were taught routinely by 86% of the physicians. Providing an opportunity for patients to give a return demonstration of the technique was reported 16% of the time for breast self-examination and 4% of the time for testicular self-examination. Teaching patients to do appropriate self-examinations can enhance the provider-client partnership in the provision of healthcare. When providers do not teach the patient to perform self-examinations, a valuable opportunity is missed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008403 Mass Screening Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease. Screening,Mass Screenings,Screening, Mass,Screenings,Screenings, Mass
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010353 Patient Education as Topic The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs. Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D010818 Practice Patterns, Physicians' Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D001943 Breast Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST. Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D005194 Family Practice A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family. Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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