Males with cryptorchidism, a condition where their testes do not descend when they are born, are three times more apt to develop cancer of the testes later in their adult life. The study’s results have urged researchers to ask whether the boys who have the condition should have routine checks to monitor the risk of cancer.
The condition is the most common male birth defect. Six percent of newborn males are affected by the condition. Cryptorchidism risk factors include the mother using tobacco during her pregnancy, Type 1 or 2 diabetes in the mother, Down syndrome that interferes with growth, premature birth, low birth weight and a history of cryptorchidism in the family.
Researchers used different databases for their study that focused on links between the condition and testicular cancer risk. The studies chosen included over 2281 cases of cancer, which was diagnosed between 15 and 75 years of age from 1965 through 2006.
Investigators were able to conclude that boys with a unique form of cryptorchidism were three times as apt to eventually develop cancer later in life.
Testicular cancer is most common in men who are 20 to 45 years of age and rates of the cancer have increased substantially over the last few years, said the researchers in their study.
