Risk factors for cancer of the testis in young men

TLDR

A major risk factor for testis cancer is a relative excess of certain hormones, particularly estrogen, during testis differentiation. The study investigates antecedent risk factors for testis cancer in men under 40 and proposes a hypothesis linking prenatal hormone exposure, undescended testis, and pregnancy complications. An individually matched case‑control study of 131 men under 40 examined prenatal events to assess these risk factors. Undescended testis was more common among cases (10 vs 2), and new risk factors included maternal hormone use during pregnancy (6 vs 1) and excessive nausea (8 vs 2).

Abstract

Abstract An individually matched case‐control study of testis cancer in 131 men under age 40 was counducted to investigate antecedent risk factors including events during prenatal life. Ten patients were born with an undescended testis compared to only two controls (p = 0.02), a previously reported risk factor. Two new risk factors were uncovered: six patient‐mothers received hormones during the Index pregnancy compared to only one control‐mother, and eight patient‐mothers and two control‐mothers reported excessive nausea as a complication of the index pregnancy. A hypothesis linking these three factors is presented: viz. that a major risk factor for testis cancer is a relative excess of certain hormones (in particular estrogen) at the time of differentiation of the testes.