Reducing Your Risk of Testicular Cancer

by Michael Jubinville, MPH

There are no steps you can take to lower your chances of testicular cancer. It's not fully known why some people have problems while others don't. Talk to your doctor about how to lower your risk. This may involve:

Treating any health problems such as:
- Undescended testicles—most common
- Klinefelter syndrome
- HIV infection
Not using drugs—Marijuana use has been shown to raise your risk of this type of cancer. While the link isn't clear, not using it or any other drug may help lower your risk.

References:

Gurney J, Shaw C, Stanley J, Signal V, Sarfati D. Cannabis exposure and risk of testicular cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2015;15:897.

Marijuana linked with testicular cancer. National Institute on Drug Abuse website. Available at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2010/12/marijuana-linked-testicular-cancer. Accessed October 1, 2020.

Testicular cancer. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T907377/Testicular-cancer. Accessed October 1, 2020.

Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Mohei Abouzied, MD, FACP
Last Updated: 12/4/2020

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