What are the causes and symptoms of testicular cancer?
The exact causes of testicular cancer are unknown. However, there is research showing that some men are more likely to acquire it than others. The risk for testicular cancer is much higher for boys born with one or both of their testicles located in the lower abdomen rather than in the scrotum. This condition is called cryptorchidism or undescended testicles. The lifetime risk of getting testicular cancer is four times higher for boys with cryptorchidism than the risk in the general population. This risk factor remains even if surgery is done to place the testicle back into the scrotum. Boys born with Down syndrome are also at higher risk of developing testicular cancer, although the reasons for this increased risk are not yet fully understood as of 2004. There are other risk factors as well. Men who have had abnormal development of their testicles are at increased risk, as are men with Klinefelter’s syndrome (a disorder of the sex chromosomes). A family history of testicular cancer in
