Testicular Cancer May Be Genetic

Listen up, men: Your risk for testicular cancer may have been inborn.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found the first gene known to be linked to testicular cancer. Their findings are published in the June 6 issue of the journal Oncogene.

The study's lead researcher, associate professor Haifan Lin, identified the family of genes in 1997 to which the newly identified gene belongs.

Lin's new research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, shows that 63 percent of men who inherit the overactive form of the gene could develop seminoma, which is a testicular cancer that originates from reproductive cells.

In addition to learning more about the biology and genetics of testicular cancer, Lin's research could lead to genetic testing to predict the potential for developing the cancer. It also could lead to new treatments by genetically reprogramming the reproductive cells to multiply at safe levels, Lin said.

According to the National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer accounts for about 1 percent of all cancers in men. Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in Caucasian men between the ages of 15 and 45, Lin said.

The most common symptom of testicular cancer is a painless swelling or lump in one testis. The American Cancer Society recommends monthly testicular self-examinations for males over the age of 15.