Abstract
Testicular cancer (TC) is a rare cancer accounting for 5% of total urologic tumors.
It occurs in distinct age groups of adolescents and young adults unlike other cancers
peaking in the older age groups. About 95% of TC arises from germ cells. The histological
classification of TC consists mainly of seminomas and nonseminomas. Based on GLOBOCAN
2022, the continent with the highest incidence rate was Europe (Age-adjusted rate-6.4),
while Africa (0.59) had the lowest incidence. The highest mortality rates were estimated
for Latin America and the Caribbean (0.58) followed by Europe (0.35) while the lowest
was for the Asian continent (0.14). The highest prevalence of TC was in Europe followed
by Oceania and Northern America, while Africa had the least prevalence of TC cases
among all. A myriad of risk factors is associated with TC; Cryptorchidism is the strongest
associated risk factor of TC increasing the risk by fivefold. Other risk factors identified
include family history increasing the risk by four- to eightfold, increased adult
height, infertility (1.6- to 2.8-fold), pesticide exposure (threefold), and gr/gr
deletion (threefold). Clinically, TC generally presents as a painless scrotal swelling
often mistaken as a hydrocele and the bulk of disease growing in the retroperitoneum
can be asymptomatic even after growing to a huge size. This article aims to present
the global burden of TC and also discusses its etiological risk factors.
Keywords
testicular cancer - epidemiology - GLOBOCAN - etiology - cryptorchidism
