Inheritance and testicular cancer. Arguments based on a report of 3 cases and a review of the literature.

Cryptorchidism and antecedent contralateral testicular tumor formation are risk factors for the formation of testicular germ cell neoplasms. The question arises if familial occurrence of testicular cancer constitutes another risk factor. In a series of 184 patients, treated for testicular tumors, three pairs of non-twin brothers were recorded. The analysis of 82 cases reported in the literature to date as well as the clinical features of early age of onset, high incidence of bilateral testicular tumors in familial cases, ethnic differences in occurrence of testicular cancer, HLA studies and the detection of oncogenes give relevance to the concept of the participation of genetic factors in the etiology of testicular germ cell cancer.