Testicular Cancer Incidence Rising in the U.S., Especially Among Hispanic Men
, by Maura Kate Costello, M.A.
Incidence of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), one of the most common cancers among young men in the United States, has increased significantly over the past few decades. Historically, non-Hispanic White (NHW) men have experienced the highest rates of TGCT. However, new evidence indicates that, for the first time, incidence rates among Hispanic men have risen to match those of NHW men, marking a significant development in the descriptive epidemiology of testicular cancer in the U.S. These findings were published in the journal, Cancer, on January 6, 2025.
Katherine A. McGlynn, Ph.D., M.P.H., senior investigator in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, and colleagues analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 12 registries database to examine TGCT incidence trends from 1992 to 2021. The investigators found that the age-standardized incidence rate of TGCT increased from 4.71 per 100,000 person-years in 1992 to 6.22 per 100,000 person-years in 2021. While rates stabilized among NHW men, the greatest increases were observed among Hispanic men, whose incidence rate increased by an average annual percent change of 3.03%. Additionally, compared to other racial and ethnic groups, Hispanic men had a younger median age at diagnosis and were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages of disease.
The study findings underscore the need for continued investigation into the factors contributing to the rising incidence of TGCT in most racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., especially Hispanic men. The reasons for the increase are still unclear, but it will be important to explore genetic, environmental, and prenatal risk factors, since TGCT is thought to originate in utero.
Reference
Almeida AA, et al. Racial/ethnic differences in trends of testicular germ cell tumor incidence in the United States, 1992-2021. Cancer. 2025 Jan 15.