Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:39:14.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Prevalence of a History of Testicular Cancer in a Cohort of Elderly Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

M. M. Braun*
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
N. E. Caporaso
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
W. F. Page
Affiliation:
Medical Follow-up Agency Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences Washington, D.C., USA
R. N. Hoover
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD, USA
*
FDA-HFM-210, 1401 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852-1448, USA

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Prior studies have suggested that the risk of testicular cancer among dizygotic twins may exceed that among monozygotic twins or the general population. Cryptorchidism is associated with testicular cancer and twinship, and therefore might potentially explain the findings of the prior studies. In 1993-1994, when they were 66 to 77 years of age, 14,326 twin individuals in the National Academy of Sciencies-National Research Council Twin Registry were interviewed by telephone. A history of testicular cancer was reported by 5 (0.08%) of 5951 monozygotic twins and 11 (0.16%) of 6992 dizygotic twins. Follow-up interviews concerning testicular cancer risk factors and treatment were able to be administered to 4 of the monozygotic and 9 of the dizygotic twins reporting testicular cancer. A history of cryptorchidism was reported in the follow-up interview by only one dizygotic twin. Our data agree with the results of prior studies reporting a more frequent occurrence of testicular cancer among dizygotic than monozygotic twins. Although somewhat limited by small numbers, our study also suggests that the findings of increased testicular cancer in dizygotic twins are not explained simply by increased occurrence of cryptorchidism in twins.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1995

References

REFERENCES

1. Beischer, NA, Brown, JB. The significance of high urinary estriol excretion during pregnancy. J. Obstet Gynaecol Brit Cwlth 1968; 75: 622–8Google Scholar
2. Berkowitz, GS, Lapinski, RH, Dolgin, SE, et Al. Prevalence and natural history of cryptorchidism. Pediatrics 1993; 92: 44–9.Google Scholar
3. Braun, MM, Ahlbom, A, Floderus, B, Brinton, LA, Hoover, RN. Effect of twinship on incidence of cancer of the testis, breast and other sites. Cancer Causes & Control 1995; 6: 519–24.Google Scholar
4. Braun, MM, Caporaso, NE, Brinton, L, Page, WF. Twin membership and breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 1994; 140: 575–6.Google Scholar
5. Dean, AD, Dean, JA, Burton, JH, Dicker, RC. Epi Info. Version 5: a word processing, database and statistics program for epidemiology on microcomputers. Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 1990.Google Scholar
6. Duff, GB, Brown, JB. Urinary oestriol excretion in twin pregnancies. J Obstet Gynaecol 1974; 81: 695700.Google ScholarPubMed
7. Forman, D, Gallagher, R, Moller, H, Swerdlow, TJ. Aetiology and epidemiology of testicular cancer: report of consensus group. Prog Clin Biol Res 1990; 7: 245–53.Google Scholar
8. Gonzalez, MC, Reyes, H, Arrese, M et al. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in twin pregnancies. J Hepatol 1989; 9: 8490.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Hrubec, Z, Neel, JV. The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twin Registry: ten years of operation. In: Nance, WE, ed. Twin research: proceedings of the Second International Congress on Twin Studies, Washington, D.C., 08 29 – September 1, 1977. Part B. Biology and Epidemiology. New York: Alan R. Liss, 1978: 153172.Google Scholar
10. Hsieh, CC, Lan, SJ, Ekbom, A, et al. Twin membership and breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 1992; 136: 1321–6.Google Scholar
11. Jablon, S, Neel, JV, Gershowitz, H, Atkinson, GF. The NAS-NRC twin panel: methods of construction of the panel, zygosity diagnosis, and proposed use. Am I Hum Genet 1967; 19: 133–61.Google Scholar
12. Page, WF, Braun, MM, Caporaso, NE. Ascertainment of mortality in the US Veteran population: World War II Veteran Twins. Military Medicine, 1995; 7: 351–5.Google Scholar
13. Ries, LAG, Hankey, BF, Miller, BA, Hartman, AM, Edwards, BK. Cancer Statistics and Review 1973-88. National Cancer Institute. NIH Pub. No 91-2789, 1991.Google Scholar
14. Ries, LAG, Miller, BA, Hankey, BF, Kosary, CL, Harras, CL, Edwards, BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1973-1991: Tables and Graphs. National Cancer Institute. NIH Pub. No. 94-2789. Bethesda, MD, 1994.Google Scholar
15. Swerdlow, AJ. The Epidemiology of testicular cancer. Eur Urol 1993; 23 (suppl 2): 35–8.Google Scholar
16. Swerdlow, AJ., Huttly, SRA, Smith, PG. Prenatal and familial associations of testicular cancer. BR J Cancer 1987; 55: 571–7.Google Scholar
17. Taffel, SM. Health and demographic characteristics of twin births: United States, 1988. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 21 (50). 1992.Google Scholar
18. Tamby Raja, RL, Ratnam, SS. Plasma steroid changes in twin pregnancies. In: Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, W, eds. Twin Research 3. NY: Alan R. Liss, 1981, 189–95.Google Scholar
19. Wingo, PA, Tong, T, Bolden, S. Cancer Statistics, 1995. CA Cancer J Clin 1995; 45:830.Google Scholar