Jamie Morgan and Mike Elliott met through a shared experience – testicular cancer – but in unlikely circumstances.

Mr Morgan was performing a stand-up comedy show based on his experience with testicular cancer.

The set was a light bulb moment for Mr Elliott, who realised he had similar symptoms. It may have saved his life.

“I just wanted to get out on stage and talk about it and get it out in the open,” Mr Morgan said.

“I met Mike that night. He was a new performer who was going to go a gig in that venue and he kept asking me about the symptoms.

“I thought it was good that someone was interested.”

Within a month, Mr Elliott would be on the operating table as doctors tackled his cancer.

The same surgeon operated on both men – Mr Morgan on September 23 and Mr Elliott November 25 – and they have gone through recovery alongside each other.

Both men are 30-something fathers – Mr Morgan a 39-year-old father of four and Mr Elliott a 34-year-old father of one.

They had similar symptoms – a hardened testicle and pain in a leg – but were initially reluctant to see a doctor.

“At the end of the day, I would rather die of embarrassment than cancer,” Mr Elliott said of his realisation to see a doctor.

“It is a cliché, but your whole life, the way you see life changes. You think about your child and not wanting to miss a moment of them.”

Testicular cancer is among the most common forms of cancer for men aged 18-39 and has a 95 per cent survival rate if treated.

Statistics show that less than a quarter of diagnoses are in men older than 40. Mr Morgan and Mr Elliott have the same recovery plan that includes blood tests and scans every two to three months.

They had seminoma tumours, a slow growth cancer that requires them to have regular check-ups for at least 10 years. The part-time comedians hope to engage with other men through humour. But their message remains serious.

“You have got to do something about it,” Mr Elliott said. “Your first thought is to do nothing, to sit on your hands... If you go to the doctor and there is nothing wrong, then there is nothing wrong and that’s a good thing.”

The BlueBall Foundation is their collaborative effort. A Facebook page and website – blueballfoundation.com.au – are the first steps, with events to follow.

“We have a great opportunity,” Mr Morgan said. “We have met by chance and we wanted to set up a foundation. We have set up a Facebook page to allow people to express themselves.

“We hope to get into some fundraising. We want to create awareness and encourage blokes to get their tackle checked.”