Did you know that women all over the UK are getting ‘ballsy’ to help raise money and awareness in the fight against male testicular cancer?

Recently, research conducted for male cancer charity Orchid, showed that 62% of men are less confident at detecting testicular cancer than their partners are at detecting breast cancer and would rather their partners checked them than themselves.

The study also found that one in four men would rather tell their partner or mum than their GP that they found a lump.

So when it comes down to it, women actually play a vital role in the fight against male cancer, as William Gingell found out when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, aged 17, after his girlfriend Lucy found a lump:

In his first year at university, William admits that he ‘wasn’t too bothered really’, which he puts down to the typical male nature. “We don’t like to admit to these things as it’s a bit of a personal area.,” added William.

He may have been in denial, but his girlfriend persuaded him to go back again when the first doctor told him it was nothing to worry about, and this time it resulted in a test and a diagnosis of testicular cancer.

“It was a bit of a shock, to be honest,” said William. “Probably more to my family and friends than me. I didn’t get depressed. I just wanted to know how to get rid of it and get over it.

“I really owe my life to my girlfriend, it was her who found the lump in my testicle and without her encouragement and support I know I would have been far too embarrassed to make an appointment with my GP to get it checked out.”

William’s experience is not unusual. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged between 15 and 45 years with just over 2,000 new cases a year.

A lump or change in the testicle is the most likely way this cancer can first be identified, which can be as small as a pea, or much larger, and it is not usually painful.

If caught at an early stage, then the probability of a successful cure is more than 98%.

So in light of this, in order to encourage women to join in the fight, Orchid is collaborating with Ladbrokes Bingo on a new awareness campaign dubbed #ShesGotBalls The campaign encourages women to take selfies of their ‘ballsy’ adventures, post them on Twitter using the hashtag #ShesGotBalls and text SGBS15 £3 to 70070 to make a £3 donation.

Ladbrokes Bingo will donate an additional £1 to Orchid for each of the first 2,000 texts sent and all selfies using the hashtag #ShesGotBalls will feature on Ladbrokes Bingo’s online gallery at bingo.ladbrokes.com/en/news/shes-got-balls.

Rebecca Porta, chief executive of Orchid, said: “This new campaign encourages women to ‘get ballsy’ and help the men in their lives detect signs and symptoms of testicular cancer.

“We are delighted to be working with Ladbrokes Bingo and together we can help tackle male cancers which affect over 43,000 men every year.”

  • For more information on the campaign, visit bingo.ladbrokes.com/en/news/shes-got-balls.

For information on the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer. visit yourprivates.org.uk.