Social epidemiology of cancer of the testis

Abstract

Inquiry was made into social epidemiologic characteristics of 247 patients with cancer of the testis and 2,504 control patients with diseases other than neoplastic at sites other than in the reproductive system seen at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, from January 1945 to September 1965. The series was not unlike others in that the peak age incidence was in the mid-30 age group. Inasmuch as there were differences in distribution between the cases and controls on age, weighting for age differences was accomplished statistically to make results comparable. In addition, cases were compared to controls matched on age. We found no difference in the proportion of cases and controls who had never been married at any time in their lives. There were interesting differences, however, in risk of testicular cancer on other demographic parameters. Thus, risk was highest for dwellers in small towns rather than large cities, professionals as compared with occupational groups in lower socioeconomic categories, Protestants rather than Catholics, and the native-born as compared with the foreign-born. Highest risks were encountered among men with several of these characteristics, with the native-born of native parents who were Protestant and professional having an unusually high risk. Comparison of risks by histology produced similar findings.