Love Island's Chris Hughes reveals brother has testicular cancer
A Love Island contestant who underwent a check for testicular cancer on live television has revealed his brother has been diagnosed with the disease.
Chris Hughes said his brother, Ben, discovered a lump after being prompted to check himself following the reality TV star's testicular examination on ITV's This Morning last November.
Hughes, who has had a number of operations on his testicles after discovering an issue at the age of 14, was praised when he underwent the live check to raise awareness.
The 26-year-old wanted to demonstrate how quick and easy - and important - it is to self-examine, in order to avoid further issues developing, including testicular cancer.
Writing on Instagram on Wednesday, Hughes revealed that his TV appearance had prompted his brother to check himself and discover a lump.
He posted a picture of himself and Ben as youngsters, where he said it was a "sad day".
He wrote: "My brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer this lunchtime, in which we pray for a kind prognosis.
"He came into my room at 3am the morning after my testicular examination on TV, clearly struggling to sleep, telling me he'd found a lump and asked me if he's checking it right.
"To which I told him, 'Ben, it's 3am, I'll look in the morning, but if there's a lump, go and check it checked tomorrow with the doctor'.
"Today he sent me a message telling me the news, and thanking me for making him aware, else he'd never have known he had cancer.. That literally broke my heart.
"Testicular cancer is a silent killer, men need realise this and check themselves regularly. It takes 10 seconds. Please do it."
People in the public eye speaking out about testicular cancer encourages others to check themselves and seek medical advice if required, Rebecca Porta, Chief Executive of male cancer charity Orchid said.
“Whenever someone in the public eye is diagnosed with testicular cancer or speaks about the disease publicly we see a marked increase in calls to our specialist nurses on the Orchid Helpline from people who are worried about lumps and bumps or something which doesn’t ‘feel right’.
"Regular testicular checks can be an important tool in the fight against testicular cancer, aiding identification of potential testicular problems and earlier diagnosis.
"We’d like to personally thank Chris Hughes for helping to inform the 68% of men who don’t know how to check themselves for testicular cancer.
"As we have seen from his brother Ben’s diagnosis, speaking out really can make a difference.”
What are the symptoms of testicular cancer?
A painless lump or swelling in one of the testicles
Any change of shape or texture of the testicles
An increase in the firmness of a testicle
A difference between one testicle and the other
A dull ache or sharp pain in your testicles or scrotum, which may come and go
A feeling of heaviness in your scrotum
If you experience any of these symptoms you should make an appointment to see your GP, or visit your local sexual health clinic.
While not all lumps are cancerous, the NHS advises seeking medical advice.
Orchid’s Male Cancer Nurse, Rob Cornes, offers the following advice on how to self-check:
Check regularly: get to know what feels normal for you. You might want to check when you’re having a bath or shower (as your testicles will be warm and relaxed).
Have a feel: rest your testicles in the palm of your hand and gently use your thumb and fingers to feel them, being aware of the small tube which lies behind each testicle. Don’t worry if one’s bigger or hangs lower - it’s normal.
If in doubt, get checked out: 96% of conditions which may affect the area around the testicles are not cancer. Anything that doesn’t "feel right" should be checked out and common conditions can usually be easily detected by a GP. If they can’t, then an ultrasound scan can be performed to identify the problem.