The rising incidence of testicular cancer among young men in Canada, data from 1971-2015

Background: Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy among young men aged 15-44 in Canada. The goal of this analysis was to examine age-period-cohort effects of testicular cancer incidence between 1971 and 2015. Methods: Data were collected from the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System and the Canadian Cancer Registry. Birth cohort models were fit using the National Cancer Institute's web tool. Incidence annual percent changes were estimated using NCI's Joinpoint Regression Program. Results: Incidence of testicular cancer in Canada has increased steadily since 1971. A birth cohort effect was observed for men born in the years after 1945. The rate of testicular cancer peaks at age 35 and drops off with increasing age. Conclusion: Incidence of testicular cancer has risen dramatically in Canada in recent decades and the cohort effect indicates the need to investigate exposures that have increased since 1945 and that may affect development in young men.