While testicular cancer can affect any male, certain factors elevate the risk. A personal or family history of testicular cancer significantly increases susceptibility. Men with cryptorchidism - an undescended testicle - carry a four- to eight-fold higher risk, even if the condition was surgically corrected in childhood.
Race also plays a role: Caucasian men are four to five times more likely to develop testicular cancer than African American men. Other contributing factors include Klinefelter syndrome, HIV infection, and prior diagnosis of carcinoma in situ (intratubular germ cell neoplasia). Infertility has also been associated with a modestly elevated risk. Importantly, there is no established link between physical trauma, athletic activity, or vasectomy and testicular cancer development.
