Trends in the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors in the United States

Abstract

BACKGROUND Recent reports have suggested that the increasing rates of testicular germ cell tumors in some populations have begun to plateau. This study was conducted to examine whether rates among white men in the United States have begun to stabilize and whether rates among black men in the United States have remained low. METHODS Testicular germ cell tumor incidence data from in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were analyzed for the years 1973–1998. Trends were examined separately for seminoma and nonseminoma. Using age‐period‐cohort analyses with 5‐year age intervals and 5‐year calendar‐period intervals, changes in the slope of the trends in birth‐cohort and calendar‐period effects were examined. RESULTS Among white men, rates of seminoma continued to increase, but the rate of increase steadily declined throughout the 26‐year time span. Nonseminoma rates among whites increased more slowly during the first three time intervals, then plateaued in the final interval. Rates of both seminoma and nonseminoma in black men fluctuated throughout the first three time intervals. In the final interval, the rates of seminoma increased almost 100%, whereas the rates of nonseminoma increased more modestly. Age‐period‐cohort modeling of the incidence data in white men found that, whereas the dominant effect was that of birth cohort, there also was a period effect. CONCLUSIONS Among white men in the United States, the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors varied by histology, with a continuing increase in risk only for seminoma. Among black men in the United States, the surprising increases seen between 1988 and 1998 were likely to be a calendar‐period effect. Cancer 2003;97:63–70. Published 2003 by the American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11054

Origins and molecular biology of testicular germ cell tumors

“…Evidence that race plays a role in this disease is provided by the fact that the incidence is over five times greater in Caucasian Americans compared to African Americans. 8 The only nonwhite population with a relatively high incidence of TGCT is the Maoris of New Zealand. 9 Interestingly, the incidence of TGCT in many countries has increased significantly during the last century.…”

“…9 Interestingly, the incidence of TGCT in many countries has increased significantly during the last century. 8,[10][11][12] Based on SEER data, McGlynn and collaborators reported an overall rise of 44% in the incidence in the United States from 1973 to 1998, from 3.35 per 100 000 men to 4.84 per 100 000. Although the rates increased among both white and black males, the increases observed were different in each group.…”

International patterns and trends in testis cancer incidence

“…3 In Canadian and U.S. white populations, the incidence of nonseminoma has been increasing less rapidly than that of seminoma. 7,8 No adequate explanations for these trends have been identified, as the etiologies of these malignancies remain largely unknown.As investigations into secular trends of testis cancer have generally focused on populations of European ancestry, it is not clear whether rates in low-incidence populations also have increased over time. A study on international cancer trends between 1973-1987 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) clearly demonstrated rising testis cancer rates in Japan and Puerto Rico but not in other low-incidence registries.…”

Role of MEK/ERK pathway in the MAD2-mediated cisplatin sensitivity in testicular germ cell tumour cells

“…Testicular germ cell tumour (TGCT) is the most common type of malignancy in young males aged 15 -35 years and the incidence is increasing steadily throughout the world (McGlynn et al, 2003). In the past 30 years, the incidence of TGCT has doubled, especially in young men with a mean age of 36 years at diagnosis (Power et al, 2001).…”