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Cancer doesn’t discriminate
Young men get cancer, too
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| ARDIE ARVIDSON |
| Chris Thomas of Hartsville, a teacher at Florence-Darlington Technical College, never dreamed when he was 25 years old he would face cancer. |
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By Ardie Arvidson
Staff Writer
April 23, 2008
Cyclist Lance Armstrong, figure skater Scott Hamilton, football player Brian Piccolo and Chris Thomas of Hartsville all have something in common. Cancer. To be more specific, they all were diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Young adults, especially men, may think they have nothing to be concerned about when it comes to getting cancer, but they are wrong. Virtually no age group is immune to this disease.
Thomas discovered his cancer when he was just 25 years old.
Testicular cancer is found mostly in men from 18-39 years of age. About 8,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer this year.
The most common symptom is a painless lump or swelling around one or both testicles. According to the American Cancer website, this type of cancer “responds very well to treatment.” As with most cancers, early detection is the key to successful treatment.
“It was a bit of a shock,” Thomas said of his diagnosis. “It was not something I was expecting at 25. It was not in the cards.”
At first he said there was a bit of denial.
“Cancer doesn’t run in my family, heart disease does,” Thomas said. “Everything went so fast; the final diagnoses didn’t come until after the surgery.”
Three days after receiving his diagnosis, Thomas was having surgery.
“If it had been in the advanced stages, I would have had to have radiation,” Thomas said. “Since they caught it early, it was my option.”
After five years of being cancer free, Thomas said it is considered cured.
A psychology teacher at Florence-Darlington Technical College, Thomas said after 13 years, the cancer isn’t something he dwells on. When first diagnosed and two lumps were discovered, Thomas, who was not married at the time, was concerned about not being able to have children. That fear has since been eliminated. He is married and has two children.
What Thomas would like other young men to know is that a diagnosis of cancer isn’t a death sentence. He also said he wants other young men to know how important having a yearly check up is and doing self-examinations. Also, if you do find something suspicious, he wants people to know how important it is to get checked right away.
Thomas said having cancer at a young age does give you a different perspective on life.
“You realize that bad things can happen,” he said. “When I really think about it, it makes you appreciate the life you have. It turned out good when it could have turned out badly.”
Thomas will celebrate his triumph with others who have beaten the disease at Relay for Life on Friday night and give support to the families of those who were not so lucky.
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Cancer doesn’t discriminate
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