Tom Green recounts 'terrifying and traumatic' testicular cancer ordeal

Tom Green has recalled being left "terrified" when doctors told him he had testicular cancer just as his career was taking off.

The 52-year-old Canadian comedian was 28-years-old when he received the devastating news.

He recalled to Q's Tom Power, "It definitely was a complete life-changing experience. It was terrifying - completely terrifying and traumatic."

The star faced the prospect of having to pause his then-just-launched MTV show, The Tom Green Show, in order to undergo surgery to remove his right testicle and his lymph nodes to defeat the cancer.

However, he then turned the cameras on his ordeal to film a one-hour special about his health battle and subsequently launched a charity to raise money for testicular cancer research.

Recalling the time in his life, the Charlie's Angels star said, "There was definitely a good week there where I had no intention of telling anybody that I had testicular cancer, let alone doing a television special about it... I started to realize this would actually help people because young men get testicular cancer between the ages of 15 and 35 ... which was totally our audience."

He added, "I actually am glad that I got testicular cancer. I actually am. It changed me in many positive ways. It made me realize what's important and I don't think I'd be the person I am today if I hadn't been through that."

The star, who was previously married to Drew Barrymore from 2001 until 2002, also joked, "They took my right testicle, I still have the left one - it's the middle one now."