The Facts
Testicular cancer strikes one out of every 25,000 men. Although it accounts for only 1% of cancer in men, it's the most common cancer found in men between the ages of 15 and 35 years old and the incidence of this condition has been increasing over the last 100 years. Testicular cancer also seems to be more common in white men than in those of African descent. Most cases of this cancer are found by testicular self-examination, often following a trauma or blow to the genital region.
The cancer is divided into 2 types: seminoma (30%) and nonseminoma (70%). Testicular cancer is almost always treatable if detected in the early stages, even if it has already started to spread.
Causes
There's no known cause for testicular cancer. Doctors have found that men with undescended testes have a risk of developing the cancer more than 10 times higher than the general population, even after surgical correction. The cancer can occur in either testicle with equal probability. The incidence also rises in men who have abnormalities of the urinary system.
Men who have been diagnosed with cancer in one testicle have an increased chance of developing it in the remaining testicle as do men with a family history of this disease. It's important to note that there is no association between testicular cancer and vasectomy.