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. 1999 Feb 27;318(7183):559-62.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.318.7183.559.

Risk of testicular cancer in subfertile men: case-control study

H Møller  1 , N E Skakkebaek
Affiliations

Risk of testicular cancer in subfertile men: case-control study

H Møller et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between subfertility in men and the subsequent risk of testicular cancer.

Design: Population based case-control study.

Setting: The Danish population.

Participants: Cases were identified in the Danish Cancer Registry; controls were randomly selected from the Danish population with the computerised Danish Central Population Register. Men were interviewed by telephone; 514 men with cancer and 720 controls participated.

Outcome measure: Occurrence of testicular cancer.

Results: A reduced risk of testicular cancer was associated with paternity (relative risk 0.63; 95% confidence interval 0.47 to 0.85). In men who before the diagnosis of testicular cancer had a lower number of children than expected on the basis of their age, the relative risk was 1.98 (1.43 to 2.75). There was no corresponding protective effect associated with a higher number of children than expected. The associations were similar for seminoma and non-seminoma and were not influenced by adjustment for potential confounding factors.

Conclusion: These data are consistent with the hypothesis that male subfertility and testicular cancer share important aetiological factors.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Mean cumulative age specific fertilities of men with testicular cancer and of control men
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