Undescended Testicle: Risk for Testicular Cancer
Topic Overview
Being born with an
undescended testicle increases the risk for
testicular cancer.
- The risk for testicular cancer is about 4 to 10
times greater in males who have an undescended testicle than in other
males.1
- The higher up in the path of
descent a testicle stops, the more likely it is to develop a tumor. An
undescended testicle in the abdomen is 4 to 6 times more likely to develop
cancer than an undescended testicle in locations farther down toward the
scrotum.
Moving the testicle to the scrotum may help reduce the
higher risk associated with undescended testicles that are not treated. Most
doctors recommend surgery to place undescended testicles in the scrotum, because
this makes it much easier to find testicular cancer if it does develop.
Untreated undescended testicles are usually
removed in adult men and teens who have gone through
puberty because of the increased risk of
testicular cancer.
Because of the risk of cancer, men who have an undescended testicle
should have regular medical checkups (at least once every 2 years) throughout
life. These checkups may include a testicular exam. If you have an undescended
testicle, talk with your doctor about how often you need to be checked.
Some doctors recommend a testicular biopsy during surgery to correct an
undescended testicle (orchiopexy) if the undescended testicle is in the abdomen
or the child has genital defects, such as
hypospadias, or a
genetic disorder. In this test, a small sample of
tissue is taken from the testicles and examined to find out the potential for
developing cancer.
References
Citations
-
Braga LHP, Bagli DJ (2011). Urologic abnormalities of the genitourinary tract. In CD Rudolph et al., eds., Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22nd ed., pp. 1741–1748. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
John Pope, MD - Pediatrics |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology |
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Last Revised
|
December 28, 2012 |
Last Revised:
December 28, 2012
Braga LHP, Bagli DJ (2011). Urologic abnormalities of the genitourinary tract. In CD Rudolph et al., eds., Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22nd ed., pp. 1741–1748. New York: McGraw-Hill.