History of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Linked to Seminoma

WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Having a history of neurodevelopmental disorders is associated with an increased risk for testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), according to a study published online April 24 in the British Journal of Cancer.

Anna K. Jansson, from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues conducted a nested case-control study of 6,166 TGCT patients diagnosed during 1992 to 2014, individually matched (for age and calendar period) to 10 cancer-free controls each (61,660 controls), from the Swedish Cancer Register. Odds ratios were calculated for the association between type of psychiatric diagnosis and TGCT risk.

The researchers found an increased risk for seminoma in association with history of a neurodevelopmental disorder (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disabilities; odds ratio, 1.54). Compared with those without, seminoma patients with neurodevelopmental disorders were younger (34 versus 38 years) and had more stage IV disease (5.4 versus 1.2 percent). There was no association seen for psychiatric history overall with TGCT. Increased all-cause and TGCT-specific death were seen for patients with a history of any psychiatric disorder.

"We do not know why we are seeing a link between neurodevelopmental disorders and the risk of testicular cancer, but we believe that early life events have an impact; perhaps even as early as the fetal stage," Jansson said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text