 | | | | | Testicular Cancer More info on this condition | |
| | | Risk Factors | | | | | Several factors are known to contribute to a man's risk of developing germ cell cancer.
- Cryptorchidism: Cryptorchidism, the main risk factor for testicular cancer, is a condition in which one or both testicles do not develop properly in the womb. In a fetus, the testicles usually develop inside the abdomen and descend into the scrotum before birth. In about 3 percent of boys, one or both of the testicles remain in the abdomen or do not descend completely. Most undescended testicles will eventually descend on their own in the child's first year of life, but a surgical procedure is sometimes necessary to bring the testicle down into the scrotum. About 14 percent of testicular cancer occurs in men with a history of cryptorchidism, and may occur in the testicle not affected by this condition.
- Age: Most testicular cancers occur between the ages of 15 and 40. However, testicular cancer can occur in males of any age, including infants and elderly men.
- Family history: If one man within a family has testicular cancer, there is an increased risk that his brother will also develop it.
- Occupational risks: Nonseminoma germ cell tumors occur more frequently among men who work with or near certain chemicals. Miners, oil and gas workers, leather workers, food and beverage processing workers, janitors and utility workers are all at increased risk. No association has been found between occupation and risk of seminoma tumors, however.
- HIV infection: There is some evidence that men infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly those with full-blown AIDS, are at increased risk of testicular cancer.
- Carcinoma in situ: Carcinoma in situ (CIS) refers to cancer that has not yet spread beyond the layer of tissue where it began growing. CIS in the testicles almost always progresses to cancer. In some cases, CIS is detected in men who undergo a testicular biopsy during medical evaluation of infertility; CIS does not produce a mass or cause symptoms.
- Cancer of one testicle: Cancer in one testicle increases the risk of developing cancer in the non-cancerous testicle.
- Race and ethnicity: The risk of testicular cancer is higher among white Americans than among African-American, Hispanic or Asian-American men for reasons that are not known.
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