Anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Not every person with one or more of these risk factors will develop testicular cancer, and it will develop in people who don't have any known risk factors. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.
Risk factors for testicular cancer include:
- having an undescended testicle (cryptorchidism)
- having a testicle that is not normal, such as a small testicle that does not work the way it should
- having testicular carcinoma in situ
- being a White man
- having a personal or family history of testicular cancer
- having Klinefelter syndrome
Men who have cryptorchidism, a testicle that is not normal, or testicular carcinoma in situ have an increased risk of testicular cancer in one or both testicles and need to be followed closely.