If you are a firefighter who was diagnosed with testicular cancer following exposure to PFAS, you may be entitled to financial compensation. If you are a veteran who was diagnosed with testicular cancer and believe you were exposed to PFAS-based firefighting foam, you may be eligible to receive compensation from the VA, as well as from the responsible companies.
A proven connection between PFOA & PFOS and testicular cancer diagnosis
With regards to the evidence of exposure to PFAS and cancer, there are a relevant number of studies that investigated the potential carcinogenicity of perfluoroalkyls in communities living near facilities releasing PFAS chemicals.
- About 98% of Americans have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood. Children have elevated serum PFAS concentrations compared to adults.
- Experts suspect that exposure while in the womb might explain why testicular cancer is a prototypic tumor of young adults.
- Experts are fairly certain there must be an environmental cause because the rate of cancer has increased so rapidly.
- A study, published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, found that young men exposed to high levels of PFAS over long periods of time experience a number of different problems with their reproductive systems, such as lower testosterone activity resulting in smaller genitalia and lower sperm counts.
Testicular cancer is misdiagnosed in 25% of the patients
Sometimes, men with testicular cancer have no symptoms of the disease. When one or more of the following symptoms occur, consult your doctor right away.
- An abnormal testicle development
- A size difference between the testicles
- Testicular pain or discomfort
- Testicular swelling
- Lower abdominal or back pain
Prospects for successful treatment are good if the disease is diagnosed early, but the effectiveness of treatment diminishes in the event of a testicular cancer misdiagnosis. In the majority of cases, patients will present with concern for a lump or enlargement in either testicle. The lump is painless in at least 90% of patients, and misdiagnosis is very common, as there are other conditions that can present as a lump or swelling in one testicle, such as:
- testicle inflammations or infections
- epididymal cysts
Tools for finding or diagnosing testicular cancer include health records and physical exams, ultrasound of the testicles, and a blood test to check for certain proteins in your blood.
Testicular cancer has a latency of 15 years when it is caused by AFFF exposure, but it can be shorter for aggressive cancer types. If your urologist finds cancer through these exams, you will require blood tests to estimate current PFAS serum levels in order to establish potential links between exposure levels and testicular cancer.