Medical imaging may increase risk of testicular cancer: Study

Studies on the role that diagnostic radiation, particularly CT scans, may play in TGCT have been limited. Past reports have relied on occupational exposure, including military and nuclear workers, not patients receiving diagnostic radiation as part of clinical care, and no recent studies have evaluated the impact of diagnostic radiation.

In this latest research, the authors conducted an observational study of 1,246 men between the ages of 18 and 55 with and without testicular cancer at Penn Medicine. The participants were invited to complete a questionnaire that elicited information on known and presumptive risk factors for testicular cancer and diagnostic imaging during their lifetime, including location on the body and number of exposures, prior to their diagnosis. Tumor samples were also collected.

After adjusting for known risks of testicular cancer, including cryptorchidism and family history, race, age, and other factors, the researchers found that there was a statistically significant increased risk of testicular cancer among those reporting at least three exposures to X-ray, including a colon X-ray, and CT below the waist, compared to men with no such exposure.

Individuals with three or more exposures to diagnostic radiation had a 59 percent increased risk of having TGCT compared to individuals with no exposures to diagnostic radiation. The risk was also elevated for those exposed to diagnostic radiation during the first decade of their life, compared to those first exposed at age 18 years or later.

"If our results are validated, efforts to reduce medically unnecessary and avoidable testicular exposure should be considered, in part through efforts to reduce radiation dose and optimize shielding practices when appropriate," the authors wrote.