Incidental testicular cancers that subsequently developed in oligozoospermic and azoospermic patients: report of three cases.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether infertile men with poor semen count subsequently developed testicular cancers and to describe their clinical presentation.


METHODS
We reviewed 460 male patients with abnormal semen counts between 1989 and 2004.


METHODS
University hospital.


METHODS
Infertile men who developed testicular cancers after assisted reproductive technologies (ART).


METHODS
Description of patient characteristics: age at infertility, presentation, semen quality, and ART.


METHODS
The number of patients who subsequently developed testicular cancers and the period from ART to the development of clinical testicular cancers.


RESULTS
Of the 460 patients, 169 patients presented with mild oligozoospermia, 117 patients with severe oligozoospermia, and 174 patients with azoospermia. The follow-up periods were as follows: 1-192 months (median, 96.5 mo) for mild oligozoospermia, 1-156 months (median, 78.5 mo) for severe oligozoospermia, and 1-197 months (median, 99 mo) for azoospermia. We subsequently found three testicular cancers that had developed among severely oligozoospermic and azoospermic patients. The period from the claim of sterility to developing testicular cancers varied from 4 to 14 years (median, 9 y).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that severe semen abnormality may be a risk factor in developing testicular cancers. Self-examination of the testes could be used as an alternative or supplement to physical examination and testicular ultrasound as part of the infertility workup, even after ART.
Kanto
Satoru
S
Department of Urology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. skanto@ivf-kyono.or.jp
Takahashi
Katsuharu
K
Maehara
Ikuo
I
Fukuzaki
Atsushi
A
Kyono
Koichi
K
Arai
Yoichi
Y
D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology