Gestational hypertension may be associated with testicular cancer risk

Exposure to mild gestational hypertension during the fetal period revealed an increased risk for testicular cancer, but exposure to severe gestational hypertension appeared to decrease the risk, according to data published in Cancer Research.

Researchers from Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the University of Turin in Italy conducted an analysis to determine the association between fetal exposure to pregnancy hypertension and preeclampsia and the risk for testicular cancer in adolescent and adult life.

Using the Swedish Cancer Register, the researchers identified 293 cases of germ cell testicular cancer diagnosed before 2002. They used the Swedish Medical Birth Register to identify 861 controls.

The researchers reported a negative relationship between the risk for testicular cancer and severe gestational hypertension (OR=0.29); however, the risk for cancer was increased for mild gestational hypertension (OR=1.62).

The risk for testicular cancer was decreased for severe preeclampsia (OR=0.27) when the researchers examined the effect of both hypertension and proteinuria. However, mild preeclampsia was associated with a slightly increased risk for the disease (OR=1.31).

High BMI was not associated with the risk for testicular cancer, though low maternal BMI (<19) was associated with a decreased risk for disease (OR=0.63). Anemia during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for testicular cancer (OR=1.68), but maternal height, weight gain during pregnancy or glucosuria during pregnancy were not related to risk.

According to the researchers, cryptorchidism was associated with an almost threefold increased risk for testicular cancer.

Cancer Res. 2008;68:8832-8836.