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There may be a slight increase in risk, but most cases of testicular cancer do not seem to be linked to family history.
Some cases of testicular cancer do seem to run in families. A man with a brother who had testicular cancer has an increased
risk of getting it himself. But so far, we haven't found all the genes that may play a part in this.
Research has been carried out for a number of years to identify testicular cancer genes, and the first testicular cancer
gene called TGCT1 - was identified in 2000. This gene is on the X chromosome, and so is inherited from the mother and not
from the father.
Men who have fathers with testicular cancer are thought to be at a slight increased risk. This is because there may be
3 different genes that contribute to the risk of testicular cancer. Work is currently underway to identify the other 2 genes.
The scientists carrying out this work think that up to 1 in 5 (20%) of diagnosed testicular cancers may be genetically linked.
This still means that the majority of testicular cancers do not run in families.
Testicular cancer is relatively rare. About 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. It generally responds very well to treatment
(up to 95% are treated
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