Effect of age at orchidopexy on risk of testicular cancer

Abstract

69 (9.5%) of 724 patients with testicular cancer first seen at the Royal Marsden Hospital over the 10-year period 1975 to 1984 had a history of cryptorchidism. 11 patients had an uncorrected undescended testis when their testicular cancer was diagnosed, and 58 had had an orchidopexy or an orchidectomy for undescended testis. There are no general population data with which to compare the 15.9% (11/69) of testicular cancer patients with uncorrected cryptorchidism. However, the distribution of age at orchidopexy (or orchidectomy) of the 58 patients treated for undescended testis was almost identical to that expected on the basis of national rates. The age at treatment of undescended testis appears to have no effect on the risk of testicular cancer.