Only 1% of all cancer cases in the U.S. are cancers of the
testicle. But it is the most common form of cancer in young men.
In 2012, it is estimated that there will be 8,600 new cases of
testicular cancer, and that 360 men will die from this disease.
There are several risk factors for testicular cancer: - Most
cases happen in young men, typically 15-40 years of age. But
older men may also develop the disease. - Failure of one or both
testicles to descend from within the body before birth (known as
cryptorchidism). This raises the risk of cancer approximately
ten-fold. - If there is cancer in one testicle, the risk for
cancer in the other testicle goes up. - When a first-degree
family member (father, brother or son) has been affected. -
Having Klinefelters syndrome (a congenital abnormality of
chromosomes). But in the majority of cases, there arent any risk
factors present. And there is no evidence that injuring the
testicle or getting a sexually transmitted disease (other than
HIV) increases the risk of cance