Association of Down's syndrome and testicular cancer.

PURPOSE: We present additional clinical evidence for the suspected association of Down's syndrome and testicular germ cell tumors.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Four cases of Down's syndrome and testicular cancer are reported. The literature was reviewed for previous cases and analysis regarding common features.

RESULTS

The 4 patients were 29 to 35 years old and had clinical stage I seminoma of the testis. Two patients received prophylactic abdominal radiotherapy, 1 is being followed and 1 received adjuvant carboplatin treatment. There was no relapse at followup of 1 to 8 years. One patient also had contralateral cryptorchidism. A total of 16 cases with the association of Down's syndrome and testicular germ cell cancer was documented previously.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence for the suspected association of Down's syndrome and testicular cancer is now accumulating. Etiologically it is suspected that, along with genetically determined malformations in many other organs in trisomy 21, the gonads also undergo maldevelopment, thus creating the conditions for step 1 of germ cell tumor oncogenesis in utero. Physicians caring for patients with Down's syndrome should be aware of the possible association with testicular neoplasms.