Jordan Shaddock shares testicular cancer story

A dad has shared how a pair of jeans led to a shock diagnosis. This is his message to other men.

Testicular cancer survivor Jordan Shaddock with his partner Julie and twins Josephine and Frankie, 8 months. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Jordan Shaddock first noticed pain in his testicular area when zipping up his jeans.

“It was like I’d been hit really hard,” he recalled.

“I thought, ‘that’s not normal’.”

Pain flared up again about a week later when getting into bed, and he went to a GP the next day with one “swollen and hard” testicle.

Within days he had been diagnosed with cancer and undergone surgery to remove a testicle.

“I was pretty freaked out,” Mr Shaddock said.

“It all happened so fast.”

The high voltage electrician, who lives in Melbourne’s north, said he was very happy he had acted so quickly.

He did not require further treatment, such as chemotherapy, after the operation.

Months after his surgery in 2023, his partner fell pregnant and they now have eight-month-old twin baby girls.

The 37-year-old, who is monitored through ongoing scans and blood tests,is urging others to be aware of their testicular health.

“I know it’s a bit embarrassing for people to go and show their stuff to doctors,” Mr Shaddock said.

But the other outcome could be that you lose your life, he said.

“You can’t wait … just get it checked,” Mr Shaddock said.

With the incidence of testicular cancer on the rise the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) is urging men to take 60 seconds and self check themselves — a potentially lifesaving action.

USANZ genitourinary oncology special advisory group leader Associate Professor Weranja Ranasinghe said young men, particularly in their 20s and 30s, were at higher risk of being diagnosed.

Professor Weranja Ranasinghe from the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Picture: Supplied

“Often the only symptom of testicular cancer is a lump in the testicle, which men need to seek medical advice about immediately because if they delay as a result of fear or embarrassment, the cancer could spread,” Prof Ranasinghe said.

“There is usually no pain which is why some men might put off seeing their doctor.

“Most guys, unfortunately, don’t seek medical help early and they hope that it’ll just go away, so that leads to delays in medical treatment.”

Testicular cancer is the second most common cancer in young men aged 20-39, with the average age at diagnosis 36.

“Self checking is so important as testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancers if caught early with a 95 to 99 per cent survival rate,” Prof Ranasinghe said.

“While a lump in the testicle is the most common sign of testicular cancer, less common symptoms include feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, feeling of unevenness or an ache in the area.

“It takes just 60 seconds for men to self check and that 60 seconds could save their life.”

Originally published as Jordan Shaddock shares testicular cancer story