Thriving After Testicular Cancer
- Canadian actor and comedian Tom Green, 53, is continuing to impress after battling testicular cancer over 20 years ago. He reportedly is making a ‘comeback’ at the start of 2025, with new music, a docu-series, a documentary, and a comedy special.
- Experts recommend anyone facing cancer, or who has overcome a health challenge, should make sure they continue to prioritize their overall well-being and do the things that they love, like Green has continued to do.
- Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms such as a small mass in their testicle as an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.
- Self examinations are incredibly important when it comes to screening for testicular cancer. Men aged 15 to 55 should perform a monthly self-examination to find any changes in the testes that might indicate cancer at an early stage.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer is often diagnosed in men between the ages of 20 to 39 years and it’s a disease that can usually be cured.
Green, who previously battled testicular cancer in the early 2000s and was briefly married to actress Drew Barrymore, will reportedly be making a “comeback,” in January 2025, with a new documentary, a four-part docuseries, and comedy special, a source revealed to Page Six this week.
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According to Page Six, the insider said the documentary is based on Green’s journey to fame, as well as how he was married to Barrymore for just five months, and his cancer fight.
Additional, his rural lifestyle in Ottawa, Canada, with a wide away of rescue animals, will reportedly be featured in “Tom Green Country.”
Green will also be returning to the stage later this winter at Austin’s Premier Comedy Club. He recently shared a flyer to the events on his Instagram page, writing, “Let’s go Texas! Can’t wait to return to @comedymothership #standup #comedy.”
He also released a song titled, “Get Er Done Tonight,” which will seemingly accompany his upcoming country album.
In response to Page Six’s “comeback” article, Green received a bunch of praise from his fans, with commenting on his X, formerly Twitter, post, “There’s no comeback, @tomgreenlive had only evolved and gotten better with time. I am excited for what he brings in 2025.”
Thanks for the great article @nypost https://t.co/AUlbuftYdJ
— Tom Green (@tomgreenlive) November 20, 2024
While another wrote, “Major comeback? He’s been here all along. Blazing the trail as a pioneer of internet television with his Web-O-Vision years before we were all streaming and binging.
“I see it as a resurgence. It took the world to come around, not @tomgreenlive. And we should all be grateful.”
“Wow. This is awesome man. Can’t wait to check them all out,” commented a third.
Tom Green’s Cancer Battle
In the early 2000s, Tom Green was at the top of the comedy world. He was also engaged to Drew Barrymore. Green rose to fame with his own MTV show, The Tom Green Show, and in May 2000, he aired “The Tom Green Cancer Special.”
The special followed the lead-up to the comedian’s operation to remove one of his testicles, including comedic skits and graphic footage of the surgery itself.
Green rose to fame with absurd and shocking stunts, so it wasn’t easy for everyone to believe him when he announced that he had testicular cancer.
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However, his decision to document his treatment left little room for questioning. Green’s irreverent and sometimes morbid skits turned him into somewhat of a spokesperson spreading awareness about the disease and encouraging screening.
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In an earleir interview with Entertainment Weekly, Green explained the genesis of his cancer special: “I was feeling really sorry for myself and sitting around with (sidekick) Glenn Humplik and (head writer) Derek Harvie, and we decided it might be a way of getting off the depressing tip.
“We were just trying to make a fucking weird TV show, and all of a sudden people were coming up to us with somber and teary, thankful, handshaking sort of things.”
He concluded, “And we started to realize that maybe this was actually good, what we were doing.”
Understanding Testicular Cancer
A testicular cancer diagnosis is rare, but it is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in young men. Depending on the stage, the disease is considered extremely treatable. Treatment options can include chemotherapy and radiation, but often the first line of treatment is surgery to remove the testicle which contains the cancerous cells.
Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms such as a small mass in their testicle as an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.
Expert Resources On Testicular Cancer
- 5 Important Facts About Testicular Cancer, Including How to Screen for the Disease
- Testicular Cancer Can Manifest In Interesting Ways, Know The Signs Of This Rare Disease During Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
- Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer
- Smoking Marijuana May Increase Testicular Cancer Risk: Study
- 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer
- Watch This Mesmerizing Music Video Based on Testicular Cancer Scans, Produced By 36-Year-Old Survivor
“It’s not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, previously told SurvivorNet.
Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer
Dr. Posadas says some men may even notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer. “This symptom is less common, but always bad,” he said.
Other symptoms can include:
- Breast growth or soreness
- Early puberty in boys
- Low back pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Belly pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Headaches or confusion (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
Dr. Posadas urges young men to seek medical care if they are having symptoms. “Most men under the age of 40 tend not to think about seeing a doctor they need to know to advocate for themselves,” he said.
Screening for Testicular Cancer
Testicular self-examination is one way to screen for this disease, Dr. Posadas says.
“It takes less than a minute,” Dr. Posadas previously told SurvivorNet. “Rub testicles through your fingers looking for any sore areas. Rub the top of the testicle, particularly the delicate epididymis. (The epididymis is a tube at the back of the testicles which stores and carries sperm.)
“Don’t squeeze real hard on there. [You should] look for a smoother feel; if you feel a hard nodule on there, you may require blood work from a urologist. [Testicular cancer] is highly curable, even when it’s advanced.”
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Bradley McGregor, clinical director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, also emphasized the importance of self-examinations.
“It is recommended that men aged 15 to 55 perform a monthly self-examination to find any changes to help find the cancer at an early stage,” Dr. McGregor said. And if someone spots any of the early symptoms, “he should visit his doctor immediately.” It’s important to be aware of your body and get in touch with a doctor if you notice anything unusual.
Dr. McGregor continued, “Testicular cancer commonly occurs from ages 20-45, but it can occur at any age. The highest risk factor for testicular cancer is a history of cryptorchidism, an undescended testicle, where the testicle does not move down into the scrotum before birth.
“Men with a family history of testicular cancer are at increased risk as well. No lifestyle changes have been shown to definitively reduce the risk of testicular cancer.”
What Life May Look Like After Treatment
If patients have not experienced too many complications from their chemotherapy, “they are often able to go back to many of the same things that they did before they had their diagnosis of cancer and are able to live full and complete lives,” Dr. Michael Jain, medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
If the cancer does return at some point, any future treatment you get will depend on:
- The type of cancer you had
- The type of treatment you received for it
- How long it has been since you finished your treatment
- Your overall health
Making a Survivorship Care Plan
So what comes after successful treatment? “At that point we often focus on the survivorship issues that they may have, preventing second cancers, and properly following them,” Dr. Jain explains.
A survivorship plan will include a schedule for follow-up exams and tests, plus a schedule for tests to check for any long-term health impacts from your cancer or treatment, and screening for any new cancers.
Your doctor will likely tell you what to look out for in terms of side effects that could show up late or over the long term. Your care team will provide you with diet and physical activity recommendations as part of your survivorship plan.
Moving On From Treatment
It’s natural to feel continuing mental health effects, such as depression and anxiety, even after your treatment ends. This is where you can benefit from a supportive community. Look to strengthen your relationships with friends and family, faith groups, support groups, and mental health professionals to buoy you as you move on from treatment.
In addition to caring for their mental health, people who finish treatment and are in complete remission will want to move on from cancer with a physically healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, staying at a healthy weight, and not smoking are all lifestyle practices that generally contribute to a healthy quality of life.
Indeed, cancer and its treatment might naturally point survivors in the direction of such practices. “Mostly [we’re] trying to maximize the quality of life that people have, because once you have a cancer diagnosis, I think it is an important time in someone’s life where they can take stock and really understand what’s important,” Dr. Jain adds.
There’s Life After Cancer
Sometimes it can be hard for cancer patients to see the light at the end of the tunnel especially after being hit with a diagnosis. However, SurvivorNet has shared thousands of stories from cancer warriors that prove everyday challenges tend to improve over time. With the support of loved ones that make up your support group, you too can find a way to navigate your emotions.
Your support group also helps motivate you while undergoing the rigors of cancer treatment. While every cancer warrior’s journey is unique, one thing is certain, you are more than your diagnosis.
Solomon and many other cancer survivors continue to demonstrate there’s life after cancer every day by focusing on what brings them joy, happiness, and gratitude.
WATCH: Living In Gratitude
Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. It’s a mindset that helps people going through tough times, and the experts SurvivorNet spoke with encourage cancer warriors and their loved ones to practice gratitude.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet that his patients who live with gratitude tend to handle treatment better because this attitude is one way to stay mentally healthy.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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