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I noticed a small lump on my right testicle
Jack Hinton was just 24-years-old when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2019. The musical theatre actor who lives in London, shares his story about discovering a lump in his testicle, and the subsequent surgery. Jack, who’s now 26, sought support from Baggy Trousers UK following his diagnosis, and is returning the favour by hosting an online fundraising concert…
Jack said: ‘At first, I noticed a small lump on my right testicle and went to my nearest doctor to get it checked. I was assured by the doctor that it was nothing to worry about and all would be fine. The following week I then flew to Germany to start rehearsals for my next job. Two months later, I then realised that what was once a small lump had grown into the size of a large tennis ball. This was ultimately when I knew that something was not right and so, I went straight to a hospital in Germany where I was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
‘Four days after my diagnosis, I underwent surgery to remove the tumour. The staff at the hospital warned me that the tumour was an aggressive one, so they tried to get me into the theatre for surgery as soon as they could. I went in for my surgery and then had to stay in the hospital for five days. After this, I left the hospital to get back to resuming rehearsals but for the next eight weeks, had to come back to the hospital once a week for blood tests to ensure that I was keeping on the mend.
‘I am so pleased and relieved that my prognosis is now all clear and I aim to get a check-up every six months. Given that I was in Germany throughout my experience, I wasn’t aware of any UK based charities at the time. Baggy Trousers UK was one of the charities I researched when I returned home, and as soon as I got in direct contact with Jack [the founder], and we spoke about our experiences, I knew I picked the right charity. Seeing the support the charity offers is wonderful. When the idea came to me to host a show; I knew I wanted to associate it with a charity.
‘I hosted a concert on Thursday 3rd December 2020, at a theatre in London. I used my platform in this concert to share all about my story and experience, fighting testicular cancer. Throughout the show, I sang some songs, all of which mean a lot to me and have relevance to my story.
‘This concert was also professionally filmed and streamed online for £5 per ticket to raise funds in aid of Baggy Trousers UK.
‘Throughout my recovery period post-surgery, I felt alone and didn’t know how to be feeling or what the next steps to take were. I wanted to speak about this in my concert and with hope, resonate with others who may have felt like this also. It’s such an impactful event in one’s life, experiencing cancer and especially for men who are still carved out in today’s society to just ‘get on with it’ etc.; I feel I now have a duty from experience that I can share with others and with hope, help others to not feel so alone. To show my efforts in wanting to do this, I wanted to donate the money I raised through ticket sales and give it to an amazing charity raising awareness and support for others fighting the same battle.
‘To other men, my age, older and younger, I would say – CHECK YOUR NUTS! I do it once a week. Of course, the first couple of times it may be “scary” as one may not want to have to think about what they may find down there. However, it’s so worth it and nowhere near as scary as it being too late!
‘The body has an indescribable way of telling you that something’s wrong. Even after my first appointment with the doctor who assured me everything was ‘okay’, I knew in my heart of heart’s everything wasn’t. You can never be too careful and nothing is more important than your health and happiness.’
You can find Jack on Instagram @JACKHINTON__ (that’s a double underscore) Or on Twitter: @JACKHINTON_ (single underscore)
