A young Emirati has urged men to get checked for testicular cancer to avoid the same ordeal he endured.
Engineer Omar Al Ahmadi was only 27 when he woke up to what he described as the most severe pain he had ever felt.
At first, he thought the pain could be managed with painkiller tablets but it was not long before he was forced to take a late-night trip to the accident and emergency department.
It became apparent that he was suffering from testicular cancer so advanced that he would need to undergo an arduous chemotherapy programme. Doctors told him that if he had come just a few weeks earlier, it was likely the cancer would have been at a much less severe stage.
“It was a massive pain,” the now 31-year-old said. “Like someone stabbing you.” His first trip to the hospital to deal with the pain saw doctors giving him painkillers and telling him it would clear in a week. It soon became apparent that this would not be the case.
Mr Al Ahmadi arrived at the emergency department at about 2am. Painkillers had temporarily eased his symptoms, but he insisted on being examined by a urologist. During the assessment, a lump was detected.
Need for awareness
“I hadn’t noticed anything,” he said. “As men, we don’t check ourselves. No one talks about these things the way women do with breast cancer.”
He was asked to return at 9am to see consultant urologist Dr Walid Hassan, who examined him and immediately admitted him.
“Testicular cancer, although it is a rare cancer overall, is one of the most common cancers in young men,” said Dr Hassan.
“It typically affects those between the ages of 15 and 30. Other cancers tend to be diseases of ageing, but testicular cancer is the most common cancer in this young age group.”
Following examination and imaging, Mr Al Ahmadi underwent surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to remove the affected testicle. When the biopsy results were ready, consultant medical oncologist Dr Mohamed Al Masri confirmed the diagnosis.
“I was told I had stage 2B testicular cancer,” Mr Al Ahmadi said. “They told me if I had come two or three weeks earlier, it would have been early stage one. Because I came late, it was the end of stage two. If I had waited a week longer, it would have been stage three. Thank God I came when I did.”
Mr Al Ahmadi was talking to The National to mark men’s health month, which is taking place across the UAE throughout November. The age-standardised rate of new testicular cancer cases in the UAE is 0.49 per 100,000 people a year, which is significantly lower than the global average of 1.8 per 100,000, according to data from a study last year led by Prof Humaid O Al Shamsi, president of the Emirates Oncology Society.
While relatively rare, it is the most common cancer among young men (ages 15-35) in the UAE.
Dr Al Masri said Mr Al Ahmadi’s tumour type was particularly aggressive.
“These tumours can progress rapidly. That’s why we treat them as early as possible,” he said. “The cells in the testicle are biologically designed to multiply quickly – they produce life. When they become cancerous, they keep that rapid growth ability, which is why delays matter.”
Mr Al Ahmadi also worried about whether he would be able to have children.
“They told me you can live normally with one testicle, but production won’t be the same. They said testicular cancer is 99 per cent curable but that the chemotherapy would be very extensive,” he said.
He began six months of chemotherapy, attending five consecutive days each week using a chest port.
“I didn’t understand what ‘extensive’ meant until I started,” he said. “One cycle destroyed me. I lost all sense of taste – even water tasted like metal. The tiredness, the vomiting. It was the hardest thing I’ve lived through.”
Treatment took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning no visitors were allowed.
“I had to go through it mostly alone,” he said. “I had my parents, but they had their own lives. I felt very alone at times.”
Dr Al Masri said the treatment was standard for this stage and tumour type.
Treating the issue
“Treatment must be followed strictly and without delay for the best outcomes. Although chemotherapy can be very hard on patients, especially young men, most ultimately recover well,” he said.
By October 2021, Mr Al Ahmadi had completed chemotherapy. Over the following two years, regular imaging showed steady improvement.
“In March 2023, they told me I was cancer-free,” he said. “There was still a tiny bit remaining but it was fading.”
He returned to work, lost weight and began prioritising his health.
“I’m more active now than before,” he said. “I am swimming, exercising and focusing on my lifestyle.”
Last year, he married, having been completely open with his wife about his medical history. “She accepted it,” he said. “She was fine with it.”
Dr Hassan emphasised the need for greater awareness.
“The average time from noticing something to seeing a doctor is around six months,” he said. “Denial is powerful, especially in young men. There’s a perception that keeping quiet is strength. It isn’t. Being healthy starts with taking care of yourself.”
Mr Al Ahmadi urged men to take better care of their health as it could be the difference between life and death.
“A simple men’s health check could save your life. Don’t wait. I delayed two or three weeks and it changed my stage,” he said. “If I had waited longer, maybe I wouldn’t be here. Just get checked.”
