Feelings of loss and uneasiness or shame after removal of a testicle by orchidectomy: a population-based long-term follow-up of testicular cancer survivors.
Few data illustrate the man's reaction to orchidectomy. We investigated long-lasting feelings of loss and uneasiness or shame about the body after removal of a testicle by orchidectomy. We identified 1173 eligible men diagnosed with non-seminomatous testicular cancer treated according to the national cancer-care programmes Swedish-Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group I-IV between 1981 and 2004. We asked the survivors about feelings of loss and uneasiness or shame after having had a testicle removed by orchidectomy. We obtained information from 960 (82%) testicular cancer survivors. We found that 32% of these men miss or previously missed their removed testicle(s) and that 26% have or previously had feelings of uneasiness or shame about their body because of the removed testicle(s). Men who had never been offered a prosthesis reported feelings of loss [relative risk (RR): 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.0] and uneasiness or shame (RR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3-3.2) to a higher extent than those who had been offered, but rejected a prosthesis. An orchidectomy may result in long-lasting feelings of loss and uneasiness or shame in some men; offering a testicular prosthesis may hinder this experience.
Skoogh
J
J
Department of Oncology, Division of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden. johanna.skoogh@oncology.gu.se
Steineck
G
G
Cavallin-Ståhl
E
E
Wilderäng
U
U
Håkansson
U K
UK
Johansson
B
B
Stierner
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012752:Shame; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013737:Testis / Q000601:surgery