Cancer of the testis and month of birth

Abstract

It has recently been reported that a series of testis cancers shows a temporal cycle in birth dates with a peak in certain months. This observation has been tested by an examination of a larger series covering all testis cancers diagnosed in the years 1971-84 in England and Wales, in men born in 1940 or later. Limited evidence was found of a 4-monthly cycle, but this was due to a 2-monthly cycle shown by teratomas in men born in the years 1945-49. No evidence was found for such a cycle outside this period, nor for a peak in any particular month.