Boys’ relatives with sexual birth defects not at risk for testicular germ cell cancer

According to a new study published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Boys with the sexual birth defects known as hypospadias and cryptorchidism are at risk for developing testicular germ cell cancer, but their relatives are not.

Researchers at Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark, concluded that men with a personal history of cryptorchidism or hypospadias had an increased relative risk of developing testicular germ cell cancer, but not and their relatives. Study authors identified over 2 million men born since 1953. A total of 5,441 patients developed testicular germ cell cancer.

Although hypospadias, the birth defect that involves an abnormally-placed urinary opening, and cryptorchidism, the lack of descension of one or both testes in the scrotal sac, are associated with a risk of developing testicular germ cell cancer, it was unclear whether all three were part of an inheritable dysgenesis syndrome.