If These Balls Could Talk: A Guide to Testicular Cancer (Paperback)
$18.99
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If These Balls Could Talk: A Guide to Testicular Cancer (Paperback)
$18.99
When it comes to testicular cancer, silence isn't golden. It's dangerous.
Testicular cancer strikes men of all ages, yet it remains one of the most under-discussed health issues facing men today. This comprehensive guide breaks that silence with straight talk, solid information, and the support you need to navigate every aspect of the disease.
If These Balls Could Talk goes beyond the medical basics to give you the complete picture. You'll find clear explanations of diagnosis, treatment options, and what to expect at every stage, from those first unsettling signs through recovery and beyond. But this book doesn't stop at the clinical. It addresses what really matters: maintaining your mental health, navigating difficult conversations at work, protecting your fertility, sustaining your relationships, and reclaiming your life after treatment.
Whether you're a patient, a family member, a friend, or simply someone who wants to understand this critical health issue, this guide equips you with knowledge, dispels myths, and provides the tools to advocate for yourself or others.
Because when these balls talk, lives are saved.
The Testicular Cancer Foundation educates young men to raise awareness about testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer among males ages 15 to 35, supports families of testicular cancer patients, and shares its resources with the medical and healthcare communities, schools, and various young men's groups.
- 22 chaptersDiagnosis to survivorship, in plain language
- PaperbackISBN 978-1-969826-20-7
- Written by TCFSurvivors, caregivers and advocates since 2009
- 100% of profits fund the missionFree shipping on US orders over $50
What's inside
Straight talk, start to finish
A complete resource guide in twenty-two chapters, from risk factors and the monthly self-exam to treatment and life after, told in plain language with real survivor stories and a little humor.
Who's at risk
Age, family history, an undescended testicle and whether it is hereditary, plus the myths worth ignoring and why it can show up even when no risk factor applies.
The monthly self-exam
Step-by-step instructions for a two-minute check in the shower. Early detection starts here.
Signs and symptoms
What a lump, swelling or ache actually feels like, and what to do the same week you notice it.
Getting diagnosed
How it is diagnosed: ultrasound, tumor markers, staging and the questions worth asking before you leave the room.
Surgery
Orchiectomy, RPLND, prosthetics and what recovery really looks like.
Chemo and radiation
Regimens, side effects and how to get through the weeks that feel longest.
Fertility and sexual health
Can you still have kids? Sperm banking, testosterone, intimacy and the conversations nobody starts for you.
Mental health
Fear, anger, scan anxiety and finding people who have been where you are.
Work, school and relationships
What to tell a boss, a coach or a partner, and how much you owe anyone.
For caregivers
How partners, parents and friends can show up through diagnosis and treatment, what to say, and how to keep going yourself.
Survivor stories
Real men who have been through it, on what helped, what they wish they had known and what came next.
Life after treatment
Surveillance schedules, late effects and reclaiming a life that is yours again.
#1
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men ages 15 to 35.
95%+
Five-year survival when it is caught early. Knowing the signs is most of the battle.
Most
young men cannot name a single symptom. This book fixes that in an afternoon.
Who it's for
Written for him, and everyone around him
Testicular cancer lands on more than one person. The book is built so each of them can find their chapter.
Prevention
Young men, 15 to 35
Learn the warning signs, make the monthly self-exam a habit and take charge of your health before anything feels wrong.
Just diagnosed
Newly diagnosed or in treatment
A roadmap for what happens next, the questions to ask, and the parts of this nobody warns you about: fertility, sex, money, scan anxiety.
Parents
Parents of sons
How to bring up testicular health without the awkwardness, and what to do if your son comes to you with a concern.
Caregivers
Partners, family and friends
How to help without hovering, what he might not say out loud, and how to take care of yourself while you take care of him.
Schools and teams
Educators, coaches and employers
A ready-made resource for health class, the locker room or the break room, so the young men you are responsible for hear it early.
Healthcare
Clinicians and care teams
A patient-friendly book to recommend to young male patients and their families, in language that sticks after the appointment.
Who's behind it
Written by people who've been there
The Testicular Cancer Foundation is a team of survivors, caregivers and advocates. We wrote If These Balls Could Talk to fill a gap in men's health education, drawing on research, medical expertise and the stories of the men and families we work with every day.
We believe every young man deserves to know how to protect his health, and that no one should face testicular cancer alone.
2009
Founded in Austin, Texas, by a testicular cancer survivor.
The only
full-time staffed testicular cancer nonprofit in the United States.
501(c)(3)
Nonprofit. The profit from every copy sold here goes back into education, awareness and support.
When it comes to testicular cancer, silence isn't golden. It's dangerous. If These Balls Could Talk
Prefer to buy somewhere else?
Buying here sends 100% of the profit to the mission, but the book is also stocked wherever you already shop.
Ordering for a clinic, campus or team?
Urology practices, student health centers, athletic departments and survivor groups keep copies on hand. Tell us how many you need and where they are going, and we will sort out pricing and shipping.
Ask about bulk ordersGood to know
Questions, answered
What people ask before they order the book.
Who wrote it?
The Testicular Cancer Foundation, a team of survivors, caregivers and advocates who have worked on testicular cancer full time since 2009. The book draws on research, medical expertise and the experiences of patients, survivors, partners and parents.
Is it only for people who have cancer?
No. Plenty of readers have never had a scare. The chapters on risk, symptoms and the self-exam are written for any guy between 15 and 35, and for the parents, coaches and teachers who want to start the conversation.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is a guide to understanding testicular cancer and getting the most out of your care team. Treatment decisions belong to you and your doctors; the book helps you walk in prepared.
I was just diagnosed. Where do I start?
Start with the diagnosis and treatment chapters, then jump to whatever is keeping you up at night. Each chapter stands on its own, so you do not have to read front to back. If you want to talk to someone who has been through it, TCF's Cojone Club connects you with survivors.
Is it a good gift for someone with cancer?
Yes, and that is how a lot of copies travel. It is one of the few gifts for a man with cancer that is actually useful: a guy who was just diagnosed, a friend in chemo, a survivor a few years out. Parents give it to sons, partners give it to partners, and coaches keep one in the office. It is honest and direct, with a little humor, without being clinical or grim.
Does it cover fertility and having kids after treatment?
Yes. The fertility and sexual health chapter walks through sperm banking before surgery or chemo, what treatment can change, testosterone, and the questions to raise with your care team early, before treatment starts.
How does shipping work?
Books ship from TCF in Texas. US shipping is a flat $5.95, and orders of $50 or more ship free. We ship the paperback within the US only for now; outside the US, use one of the retailers above.
Where does the money go?
100% of the profit from every copy sold here funds TCF's education, awareness and support programs, including the free self-exam shower cards.