About 9,810 U.S. men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2026. Here are the key numbers on age, risk and survival from the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute, and why different sources don't always match.
The short version: about 9,810 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2026, and about 630 will die from it. The average age at diagnosis is 33. Overall, about 95 out of 100 men are alive five years after diagnosis, and when it's found before it spreads, that number is 99.
Testicular cancer is rare compared with most cancers, but it hits young men hardest, and it's one of the most treatable cancers there is. Below are the numbers from the two main U.S. sources, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cancer Institute's SEER program, along with a plain explanation of why the figures you read online don't always line up.
The ACS describes testicular cancer as largely a disease of young and middle-aged men. About 6% of cases occur in children and teens, and about 8% occur in men older than 55.
White, American Indian and Alaska Native men are several times more likely to get testicular cancer than Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander men, according to the ACS. The rate has been rising in the U.S. and many other countries for several decades, mostly for seminomas, and experts haven't found the reason.
For the full list of risk factors, see who is at risk for testicular cancer.
Across all stages, 94.6% of men are alive five years after diagnosis (NCI SEER, men diagnosed 2016 to 2022). The ACS breaks it down by how far the cancer had spread when it was found (men diagnosed 2015 to 2021):
The National Cancer Institute notes that the cure rate approaches 100% for low-stage seminomas and nonseminomas, and exceeds 90% for seminomas across all stages combined.
These are five-year relative survival rates: they compare men with testicular cancer to men in the general population. They're based on men diagnosed at least five years ago, so they don't reflect the newest treatments, and they can't predict any one person's outcome. Learn more about the stages of testicular cancer.
If you've read about testicular cancer in more than one place, you've probably seen different numbers. Most of the time, nobody is wrong. The sources are measuring slightly different things, or different years.
The ACS and NCI SEER both estimate 9,810 new cases and 630 deaths for 2026. The NCI's treatment summary for health professionals still lists the 2025 estimate: 9,720 new cases and 600 deaths. Older articles, including some on this site, may quote an earlier year's estimate. Always check which year a number is for.
NCI SEER reports that men aged 20 to 34 account for 51% of new cases. The ACS says about half of testicular cancers occur in men between 20 and 45. Both are describing the same pattern, a disease that peaks in young adulthood, using different age groupings.
An ACS study of people aged 15 to 39 found that testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males aged 20 to 39. The NCI lists it among the most common cancers in people aged 20 to 29, but not among the most common for ages 15 to 19 or 30 to 39 (those NCI lists include both men and women). You'll also see "15 to 35," including on this site. That's the age range TCF hears from most in our community, not an official statistic.
The 94.6% figure is NCI SEER's overall rate for men diagnosed 2016 to 2022. The 99% figure is the ACS rate for localized cancer only, for men diagnosed 2015 to 2021. Rounded figures like "over 95%" usually come from older data or are rounded up. The important point holds in every source: found early, testicular cancer is very survivable.
"About 1 in 250" (ACS) and "about 0.4%" (NCI SEER) are the same number written two ways.
Testicular cancer is uncommon, but it's concentrated in young men, and the difference between finding it early and finding it late shows up clearly in the survival numbers. A monthly self-exam takes about a minute. Learn how to do a testicular self-exam, know the warning signs, and if you just found a lump, start here. Questions any time: ask the TC Navigator.
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.
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