Brian Sluga started running in sixth grade. His college track team didn't qualify for the national finals, so he went home, took a long shower, and discovered a lump on his testicle. He told his dad, who stopped mowing the yard and took Brian to their family doctor near Peoria, Illinois.

After examining him, this doctor sent him to a urologist down the hall, who diagnosed testicular cancer. Sixteen hours later, Brian's surgeon removed the testicle. Because the cancer spread to his lymph nodes, Brian also had the RPLND surgery followed by regular blood tests and scans to monitor a possible recurrence, which did not happen.

Fast forward some 40 years to 2026. Brian's new book, "The Shriek I Do Remember," will be released on February 8. It's about his testicular cancer journey and other stories about his life.

From Brian Sluga's website, here is a look at the new book. "The Shriek I Do Remember is a story of hope. It'sthe story of a survivor, as Brian Sluga shares how, as a young college athlete, he found a lump. He had no idea what it was or how it would change his life." Look for it on February 8.

Enjoy this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer to learn more about Brian Sluga, his testicular cancer story, and his writing. It comes to you from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Everyone touched by cancer knows treatments vary depending on the type of cancer. Now, with precision medicine for some cancers, treatments can be tailored to that cancer.

In this podcast, Dr. James Hamrick, MD, MPH, explains what precision medicine means for cancer patients and updates listeners on developments in testicular cancer treatments.

Dr. Hamrick is the chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance, known as Caris POA at Caris Life Sciences. He leads a global network of top cancer centers and research institutions dedicated to advancing precision oncology and biomarker-driven research, and he will tell us all about it.

Dr. Hamrick is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. He earned his MD and MPH in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina and completed his residency and fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Now - back to precision medicine. Here's what Dr. Hamrick explains in the podcast.

00:09:55
"When we treat a cancer, it's all about hitting the cancer, the bad part, and not hurting the rest of the person. And so the more we understand the targets we should be hitting in these tumors, the better we can design treatments that hit those targets and leave the rest of the cells in a person's body alone.

"What does that mean?

"It means fewer side effects, so more effectiveness. So when you hear precision medicine, think about this: this is where my doctor is not just treating me for cancer. Not just treating me for lung cancer, but is working to understand exactly what is driving my cancer and how can we best target that so I have the best outcome, meaning we can kill those cancer cells, right?

"And the fewest side effects. That's really precision oncology. Biomarkers bio. We all know from high school biology class that the life sciences markers are the targets. So these are the targets that we can now use at Caris and other vendors. We can say, hey, that's the problem here.

"It's not just one testicular cell that went bad; it's one that has this certain molecular profile. So I tell patients: You should ask your doctors, Hey, what biomarkers do we care about? What is important? What are we targeting? What's valuable here?

"And that's part of becoming fluent in the language of your cancer, which, as many caregivers know, is really important."

Dr. Hamrick talks more about testicular cancer and the need to find genetic biomarkers for it. He explains that and related research about testicular and other types of cancer in this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Links:
Caris Precision Oncology Alliance - Caris POA
https://www.carislifesciences.com/partners/caris-precision-oncology-alliance/

James Hamrick, MD, MPH
https://www.carislifesciences.com/bio/james-hamrick-md-mph/

Max Mallory Foundation
https://www.maxmalloryfoundation.com

Don't Give Up on Testicular Cance

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Scott Capozza, PT, MSPT, is a board-certified physical therapist who specializes in oncology at Yale Cancer Center.

More than 20 years ago, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer while in graduate school at age 22. As he explained in an article about his cancer journey, “Suddenly I had to schedule an orchiectomy, a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and two cycles of chemotherapy around lectures, laboratory work, and practical exams.”

Scott shares his experiences with testicular cancer then and now, along with what he's doing to support cancer patients and survivors through physical therapy.

Patient advocacy: Recently, as a patient advocate and testicular cancer survivor, Scott has spoken at conferences to share his lived experiences. He explains this role in the podcast.

"It almost is our responsibility or our obligation to get in front of these medical providers to say, you have to listen to your patients. You have to make these shared decisions with your patient. You can't blindly take the shotgun approach, give the treatment, and be done with it. You have to factor in quality of life. You have to factor in who that person is..."

Hear more from Scott Capozza about his work as an oncology-focused physical therapist, father, patient advocate, and testicular cancer survivor in this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

To our listeners: Joyce Lofstrom recorded this conversation with testicular cancer survivor Andrew Barrow before the month of Movember. Now, with this month of awareness for men's health in full force, know that the advertising and fundraising efforts Andrew describes in the podcast were active before Movember began and continue throughout the month.

Andrew Barrow and Joyce Lofstrom open this podcast with a discussion about Andrew's advertising business, Revenue Arc. Keep listening as the story segues to his testicular cancer story.

In fact, testicular cancer doesn't run in Andrew Barrow's family. However, cancer, specifically lymphoma and melanoma, took his grandmother's life.

As a kid, Andrew watched Tom Green's MTV documentary on testicular cancer, where Tom shared his testicular cancer story.

"I was absolutely fascinated by it because I had never heard of testicular cancer. I was probably in middle school at the time, and this blew me away. He had this song that got stuck in my head. The main hook of the song is, 'Check your balls, kids, check them every day.'

"And I did. I was scared to death by that moment. I did this routine every day for my entire life, thinking it would never happen to me. And then one day I found a lump."

He was treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, and did not need follow-up treatment after the orchiectomy. He and his wife had one child, and after the surgery, they became pregnant and welcomed their second child.

Andrew shares more about his testicular cancer journey, his business, and his philosophy on life: live in the moment, take care of yourself, and enjoy life to the fullest now.

Enjoy this episode and others of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Dan Korte found out he had testicular cancer in 2008. The diagnosis, he said, changed his life forever and led him down a dark path in life.

His introduction to testicular cancer actually began in 7th grade during the required physical before joining the football team. She found a varicocele on one of his testicles and recommended that he see a specialist. He did, and each year, Dan had an annual scan to manage this diagnosis until around age 19 in 2008.

In this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer, Dan shares details about his testicular cancer diagnosis and treatment, including the path of drinking and partying he traveled for a few years.

Dan had the idea in 2012 to establish a community, including an apparel company, for people who have gone through struggles and challenges in life. In 2017, this idea became a reality after a coffee shop conversation with a woman he met who changed his life.

He established Riseabove, a community where individuals who have experienced or are going through challenging situations in life can recover through fitness and nutrition.

As noted on the company's website, "At Riseabove, we redefine fitness apparel by celebrating resilience and personal transformation. Life's challenges leave scars, but those scars are proof of strength, courage, and growth. Whether you're overcoming struggles like weight loss, mental health challenges, or personal setbacks, our mission is to empower your fitness journey, foster belonging in a supportive community, and inspire pride in rising above adversity."

Learn more about the Riseabove apparel and community.

Enjoy this podcast from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Board-certified urologist Dr. Jason B. Carter explains his role in the diagnosis of testicular cancer.

"It's important to understand that when you have a diagnosis like testicular cancer, to some degree, the urologist may be the quarterback in the beginning. With testicular cancer, the urologist is going to be the one you meet, get the initial procedures done, and do the post-op follow-up.

"I'm very fortunate to have an excellent radiation oncologist that I work with, and very fortunate to have a couple of very, very good medical oncologists that I work with.

"Definitely anytime you have any kind of cancer, including testicular cancer, it is always a team approach."

He shares his insights on treating testicular patients at Unity Urology, his practice in East Tennessee. He has been providing quality urologic care since 2003 and opened Unity Urology in 2006 in Greenville, Tennessee.

Other urologic conditions to know about: Dr. Carter talks about other urologic conditions such as low testosterone, other hormone therapies for men and women, infertility, incontinence, and erectile disfunction. He is a medical advisor for Aeroflow Urology.

Dr. Carter's medical degree is from East Tennessee University. He completed a residency at the University Hospital and clinics in Columbia, Missouri. He is board-certified in urology by the American Board of Urology and a member of the American Urological Association and the Tennessee Medical Association.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

It's been a decade since PJ Branco's testicular cancer diagnosis in 2015.

In early August 2025, he completed his third year as a participant in the PanMassChallenge⁩ with his personal goal to raise $10,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The two-day race covers 186 miles, and PJ is one of 1,000 living proof cyclists and volunteers who have been previously or are currently being treated for cancer. All the money raised in this charity event goes directly to cancer care at this treatment center.

PJ was the third member of his family to survive cancer. His mom learned she had breast cancer in 2005, and his father received his colon cancer diagnosis a few years later when PJ was in college.

In 2015, PJ had his right testicle removed, and three months later, when a scan showed an inflamed lymph node in his back, he underwent chemotherapy.

He compares his cycling stamina in 2025 to a time during 2015. After the removal of his right testicle and chemotherapy, PJ considered it an accomplishment to walk up and down his driveway.

Now, 10 years later, he talks about life with his wife and four-year-old son, and his dedication to giving back to the cancer institute that treated him and his mother.

As he explained in the podcast, "I now give back to those who helped save my life."

He shares his story in this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Alex Obendorf returns to the podcast three years after host Joyce Lofstrom talked with him in Season 2, Episode 10. A testicular cancer survivor, Alex updates everyone about life now and also includes a recap of his testicular cancer journey in 2018.

This episode gives listeners a look at life after cancer for Alex, who tells us about the new home he recently purchased and connecting with his birth family in Russia.

Listen to this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation.

Send us a text

Support the show

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin.

If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.