Can You Prevent Testicular Cancer?

The short answer: no. Doctors do not know a way to prevent most testicular cancer. What you can do is know your risk, know what is normal for your body, and see a doctor quickly if something feels different. Found early, testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancers there is.

Why testicular cancer can't be prevented

Many cancers are tied to things you can change, like smoking or sun exposure. Testicular cancer is different. The National Cancer Institute notes that it develops in people who have no known risk factors, and the risk factors we do know about are things you are born with or can't control.

The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute name these risk factors:

• An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism). This is one of the biggest known risk factors. About 3% of boys are born with a testicle that has not moved down into the scrotum.
• A testicle that did not develop normally, such as a small testicle that does not work the way it should.
• Family history. Having a father or brother who had testicular cancer raises your risk, although only a small number of cases run in families.
• Having had testicular cancer before. About 3 to 4% of men treated for cancer in one testicle later develop it in the other.
• Age. It is most often diagnosed in men between 20 and 34, though it can happen at any age.
• Race and ethnicity. White, American Indian and Alaska Native men have a higher risk than Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander men. No one knows why.
• Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic condition in which a male is born with an extra X chromosome.
• HIV infection, especially in men with AIDS.
• Germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS), abnormal cells inside the testicle that can sometimes turn into cancer.

Read more in our guide to who is at risk for testicular cancer.

What about an undescended testicle?

Doctors recommend surgery to bring an undescended testicle down into the scrotum, usually in early childhood. There are good reasons to do it, but it is not clear how much it lowers the chance of testicular cancer later.

If you were born with an undescended testicle, even one that was fixed, treat yourself as higher risk and pay attention to both testicles, because cancer can also develop in the one that descended normally.

Do diet, exercise or smoking make a difference?

Eating well, staying active and not smoking are good for your health and lower your risk of many other cancers. But none of them has been shown to prevent testicular cancer.

A few other things people worry about do not appear to raise the risk:

• An injury or hit to the testicles
• Activities like horseback riding
• Hard physical exercise

If you have been diagnosed, you did not cause this. It was not something you ate, did or failed to do.

What you can do: catch it early

Since you can't prevent it, the most powerful thing you can do is find it early. According to the National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer is most often first found by men themselves, either by chance or during a self-exam. When it is found before it spreads, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%.

• Get to know what is normal for you. TCF encourages a quick monthly self-exam, which takes about a minute in the shower. How to do a testicular self-exam.
• Know the warning signs. A painless lump or swelling in either testicle, a change in how a testicle feels, a dull ache in the lower belly or groin, a sudden build-up of fluid in the scrotum, or pain or discomfort in a testicle. See all the symptoms.
• Don't wait. These signs often have causes other than cancer, but only a doctor can tell. If you notice a change, see one promptly. A quick, painless ultrasound is usually the first test. Just found a lump? Start here.

If you have had testicular cancer before

Keep up with your follow-up appointments and keep an eye on the testicle you have. A small number of survivors develop a new cancer on the other side, and finding it early matters just as much the second time.

Have questions?

TCF's free TC Navigator can answer questions any time, day or night, and our weekly survivor Zoom call connects you with men who have been there.

Bronnen

• American Cancer Society, Can Testicular Cancer Be Prevented?
• American Cancer Society, Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer
• American Cancer Society, Survival Rates for Testicular Cancer
• National Cancer Institute, Testicular Cancer Causes and Risk Factors
• National Cancer Institute, Testicular Cancer Screening
• National Cancer Institute, Testicular Cancer Symptoms

This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.