Main Page [2] | Risk Factors | Symptoms [3] | Diagnosis [4] | Treatment [5] | Screening [6] | Reducing Your Risk [7] | Talking to Your Doctor [8] | Living With Testicular Cancer [9] | Resource Guide [10]
A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.
If you are a man, it is possible to develop testicular cancer [11] with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing testicular cancer [11]. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your healthcare provider what you can do to reduce your risk.
Risk factors for testicular cancer [11] include the following:
You are at greatest risk between the ages of 20 and 35 years. Out of 100,000 men in this age group, 8-14 men will get testicular cancer [11]. There is also a small increase in risk during early childhood.
Having one or more undescended testicles [12] , known as cryptorchidism, is a major risk factor for testicular cancer [11]. The American Cancer Society, in its detailed guide to testicular cancer [11], states that about 14% of cases of testicular cancer [11] occur in men with a history of cryptorchidism.
It should be noted that surgical correction of the undescended testicle does not prevent a future cancerous tumor, but it does make it easier to detect.
Other medical [13] conditions that can increase your risk of testicular cancer [11] include:
Testicular cancer [11] occurs five times more often in white men than in black men.
Being of a higher socioeconomic status also puts you at higher risk for testicular cancer [11].
References:
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center website. Available at: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/ [17] . Accessed January 31, 2006.
Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine , 14th ed. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2000.
Last reviewed April 2007 by Jondavid Pollock, MD, PhD [18]
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical [13] advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health [19] provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical [13] condition.
Copyright © 2007 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
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[1] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/editorial-staff-and-contributors#RickerP
[2] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/conditions-indepth-testicular-cancer-0
[3] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/symptoms-of-testicular-cancer
[4] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/diagnosis-of-testicular-cancer
[5] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/treatments-for-testicular-cancer
[6] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/screening-for-testicular-cancer
[7] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/reducing-your-risk-of-testicular-cancer
[8] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/talking-to-your-healthcare-provider-about-testicular-cancer
[9] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/in-his-own-words-living-with-testicular-cancer
[10] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/resource-guide-for-testicular-cancer
[11] http://www.thirdage.com/living-with-cancer
[12] http://www.thirdage.com/encyclopedia/undescended-testes-cryptorchidism
[13] http://www.thirdage.com/medical-care
[14] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/mumps
[15] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/klinefelter-syndrome-ks
[16] http://www.thirdage.com/asthma/acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome-and-human-immunodeficiency-virus-aids-and-hiv
[17] http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/
[18] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/ebsco-publishings-medical-review-board-0#Pollock
[19] http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness