International Trends in the Incidence of Testicular Cancer, 1973-2002

Abstract

Background: Whereas testicular cancer incidence rates have been widely reported in populations of Northern European ancestry, rates in other populations have been less frequently examined. In a prior report, global testicular cancer incidence rates and trends for the years 1973 to 1997 were summarized. The current report extends these analyses with an additional 5 years of data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents. Methods: Age-standardized incidence rates over successive 5-year time periods were obtained for populations in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Results: In general, testicular cancer incidence remained highest in Northern European populations (8.0-9.0 per 100,000) and lowest in Asian and African populations (Conclusions: Risk of testicular cancer remains relatively high in Northern European populations and low in Asian and African populations. Similar trends by histology suggest common risk factors. Effect: Reasons for increasing rates among Northern Europeans and stable or declining rates among East Asians are unexplained, supporting the need for future etiologic studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(5); 1151–9. ©2010 AACR.