Knowledge and screening of testicular cancer in the French Armed Forces: a prospective study

We performed a prospective study in the French Armed Forces regarding testicular cancer. Our primary objective was to assess whether willingness to have a testicular examination by medical doctor could be improved by a self-administered questionnaire through invitation to self-reflection. A total of 415 soldiers were enrolled. The study used a test-posttest design in that soldiers estimated their willingness to have a testicular palpation before and after responding to a self-administered questionnaire. The willingness to have testicular palpation significantly increased after responding to the questionnaire (p < 0.000001). Acceptance of testicular palpation after responding the questionnaire did not change in 82.25%, increased in 15%, and decreased in 2.75%. Analysis of responses to the questionnaire showed that 26.75% of soldiers (n = 107) had previously received general information on testicular cancer and 85.8% (n = 343) declared that they would be delighted if they were proposed a short educational course on testicular cancer. As a conclusion, this study demonstrates that the willingness to have a testicular examination by medical doctor could be easily improved, since there is a strong demand on medical education regarding testicular cancer.