TESTICULAR CANCER CAUSES

In many men the cause of testicular cancer is not known. However, a few risk factors have been identified. The most important risk factor is undescended testes. This increases the risk of testicular cancer by about 10 percent.

Studies are sill ongoing to determine whether or not testicular cancer has a genetic basis. While we may hear anecdotal cases, it is rare to see testicular cancer running in families.

Testicular cancer is one of the few cancers that have not been clearly linked to smoking. However, smoking contributes to the development of most cancers so the possibility that it may in some small way also contribute to the development of testicular cancer cannot yet be ruled out.