Things that can cause Testicular Cancer

The causes of testicular cancer are not fully understood. However, there are several things which increase the risk of developing the condition.
Some risk factors for testicular cancer include.
1. Undescended testicles: This is the most significant of the risk factors.
2. Age and race: Unlike most other types of cancer, testicular cancer is more common in young and middle-aged men affecting those between 20 and 44 years of age, with 90% of cases affecting men under the age of 55.
3. Race: Testicular cancer is more common in white men than the blacks or Asian
4. Family history: Having a close relative with a history of testicular cancer increases your risk of developing it.
5. Endocrine disruptors: Examples of endocrine disruptors include some types of pesticide, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dibutyl phthalate.
6. Infertility: Men who are infertile are three times more likely to develop testicular cancer than fertile men. The reasons for this are not clear.
7. Smoking: Research has found that long-term smokers (people who have been smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes a day for 12 years or 10 cigarettes a day for 24 years) are twice as likely to develop testicular cancer as non-smokers.
8. HIV and AIDS: Studies show that men with HIV or AIDS have an increased risk of testicular cancer.
9. Height: A study that was carried out in 2008 found that a man’s height affects his chances of developing testicular cancer. Men who are 190-194cm (6.1-6.3ft) tall are twice as likely to develop testicular cancer as men of average height.
References:
· Testicular cancer, National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/testicular accessed 15 December 2012
· NHS choices, testicular cancer http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-testicle/Pages/Introduction.aspx