BY THE time Chris Hamilton was diagnosed with testicular cancer five years ago, aged 26, he had lived with the increasingly uncomfortable symptoms for nine months.

During that time, he had done what too many men do when confronted with an awkward or embarrassing health problem – he had ignored it.

Luckily, he lived to tell his tale, and he is using Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month to urge others who might be in a similar position to seek immediate help.

Mr Hamilton, now 31, who lives in Cwmbran and works for supermarket giant Asda, a major partner of the Everyman charity, had to have a testicle removed and underwent five months of chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.

But he was considered a high-risk patient and consequently has to have check-ups for seven years after receiving the all-clear, in November 2007.

“I was in the third year of my law degree in Manchester when I started having the pains and, though they got worse and worse, I didn’t do anything about it for nine months,” said Mr Hamilton.

“Everyman’s aim is to make men talk about problems like this and I’m right behind that message.

I let it go on too long and it was difficult to come to terms with. I think it was only when chemotherapy was mentioned that it hit home.

“I don’t think men will ever be as open as women about things like this, but it would be great if male cancer could get a profile like breast cancer, because that would be real progress.”