Anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease is called a
risk factor. There are different risk factors for different cancers. And
example would be that smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, or sunbathing
without sunscreen is a risk for factor for skin cancer. While the exact cause
of testicular cancer is unknown, several factors do seem to increase the risk.
Testicular cancer accounts for about 1 percent of all cancers in men.
Although any man can develop this testicular cancer, white American men
have more than twice the risk of Asian-American men and more than five times
the risk of African-American men. The reason for this has not been identified.
Testicular cancer is noted for being unusual in the age group most affected.
It is the most common form of cancer in young men 15-40 years of age;
most other types affect older men or children. Only about 3 percent of
testicular cancers are found in young boys.
Some research has shown that the risk is higher for boys born with their
testicles still within the lower abdomen (cryptorchidism). The risk
appears greater if the condition is not corrected in early childhood.
Multiple atypical nevi, an unusual condition in which multiple
pigmented spots or moles are found on the back, chest, abdomen and face, is
also considered a potential risk factor. Multiple atypical nevi increases the
risk of melanoma (a skin cancer), and it has been shown that there is an increased
chance of developing melanoma in patients who have been cured of testicular
cancer.
It is not known whether prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol
(DES) increases the risk of testicular cancer, but some men whose
mothers took the drug during pregnancy do have testicular abnormalities. DES is
a hormone that was prescribed to pregnant women from 1938-1971 to prevent
miscarriage.
Other factors under investigation as possible causes include abnormal
testicular development, exposure to certain chemicals, HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus) infection, precious testicular cancer, family history
of testicular cancer, and Klinefelter’s Syndrome. Klinefelter’s Syndrome is
a sex chromosome disorder that can be characterized by small testes, sterility,
large breasts, and low levels of male hormones.
Fortunately, this cancer is not a common disease. A man has about a 1 in 300
chance of developing testicular cancer. Even with an increase in risk factors,
they chance of developing it remains low. The chance of dying from this cancer
is 1 in 5000.