Between 6,000 and 8,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancers each year. Although testicular cancer accounts for 1% of all cancers in men, it is the most common form of cancer in men 15 to 40 years old. It may also occur in young boys, but only about 3% of all testicular cancer is found in this group. White American men have about five times the risk of African-American men and more than twice the risk of Asian-American men. The risk for testicular cancer has doubled among white Americans in the past 40 years but has remained the same for African-Americans. The reasons for these differences are not known.

Testicular cancers may be classified as follows:

• Seminomas account for about 30 - 40% of all testicular tumors. It usually is found in men in their 30s and 40s. It is usually localized to the testes, although in about 25% of cases it has spread to lymph nodes.
• Non-seminomas account for 60% of all testicular tumors; subcategories of these tumors are listed below. Non-seminoma tumors often contain more than one of the following cell types:
  • Embryonal carcinoma (about 20% of testicular cancers) occurs in 20-30 year olds and is highly malignant. It grows rapidly and spreads to the lung and liver.
  • Yolk sac tumor (about 60% of all testicular cancers in young boys).
  • Teratomas (about 7% of testicular cancers in adult men and 40% in young boys).
  • Choriocarcinoma (rare).

Stromal cell tumors are a of tumor that is made of Leydig cell tumors, Sertoli cell tumors, and granulose cell tumors. These tumors account for 3-4% of all testicular tumors. But they are nearly 20% of all childhood testicular tumors. These tumors may secrete a hormone estradiol -- that can cause one of the symptoms of testicular cancer, gynecomastia (excessive development of male breast tissue).

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