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Testicular cancer
Definition:
Testicular cancer is an abnormal, rapid, and invasive growth of cancerous (malignant) cells in the testicles (male sex glands adjacent to the penis). Alternative Names:
Cancer - testes; Germ cell tumor; Seminoma
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Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Although the exact cause of testicular cancer has not been identified, several predisposing factors seem to increase risk. These include a past medical history of undescended testicle(s), abnormal testicular development, Klinefelter's syndrome (a sex chromosome disorder that may be characterized by low levels of male hormones, sterility, breast enlargement, and small testes), or previous testicular cancer.
Other factors are under investigation as possible causes, such as exposure to certain chemicals and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A family history of testicular cancer may increase risk. There is no link between vasectomy (an operation to cause sterility) and elevated risk of testicular cancer. Between 6,000 and 8,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancers each year. Although testicular cancer accounts for 1% of all cancers in men, it is the most common form of cancer in young men 15 to 40 years old. It may also occur in young boys, but only about 3% of all testicular cancer is found in this group. White American men have about five times the risk of African-American men and more than twice the risk of Asian-American men. The risk for testicular cancer has doubled among white Americans in the past 40 years but has remained the same for African-Americans. The reasons for these differences are not known.
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