testicular cancer incidence: an interview with Dr. Rebecca Johnson, Medical Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program Ho Seattle Children ... -
interview by April Cashin-Garbutt , BA Hons (Cantab)
Dr. Rebecca Johnson, MD THOUGHT LEADERS SERIES ... overview of the world's foremost experts What are the main results your recent study?
We observed that during the last two decades, there has been an increase in testicular cancer incidence among US Hispanic teens and young adults (Ayas) between 15 and 39 years.
This increase is seen in the two main subtypes of testicular cancer and affects patients of Hispanic AYA with all stages of disease at diagnosis.
Have you found an increase in other men?
No comparable increase was seen in non-Hispanic whites or Ayas among American men independent of Hispanic ethnicity.
Between 1992 and 2010, the incidence of testicular cancer AYA Hispanics increased by 58% against only 7% in non-Hispanic whites Ayas.
Which populations are most at risk for testicular cancer in the United States?
Hispanic Americans are the ethnic group the fastest growing in the United States. Until recently, data on the incidence of cancer in this population was too sparse to analyze testicular cancer trends accurately among Hispanic men. Our study provides new evidence of a significant trend in the incidence of cancer among Hispanics.
Testicular cancer strikes non-Hispanic white men more often than other ethnic groups. The incidence of testicular cancer among non-Hispanic white men is known to have increased in the 1980s and have stabilized since the early 190s
In contrast, the incidence of testicular cancer among white Hispanic men has been steadily increasing since 1992.
If the current trends continue, the testicular cancer rates among Hispanic Americans is higher than that of white men not -hispaniques by the end of this decade. It would be the first time that testicular cancer rates in a minority ethnic group exceeded that of non-Hispanic whites.
What clinicians and patients should understand about testicular cancer among Hispanics?
The increasing testicular cancer rates among Hispanic men AYA, combined with the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the US, is expected to have a measurable impact on the health care system health in the United States.
Clinicians should keep in mind that testicular cancer is not just a disease of non-Hispanic white men, but is increasingly a disease of Hispanic men as well.
Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing population of the United States.
because of the combination of population growth and the increasing incidence of testicular cancer among Hispanic clinicians who treat testicular cancer will be seeing more and more patients of Hispanic Heritage .
men or women of any age or ethnicity should remember that if they detect an unexplained lump or bump on their body, they should see their doctor promptly.
What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
This study reported a new trend in the incidence of cancer, but does not evaluate the causes of the trend. Future studies should confirm these findings in other countries that have significant Hispanic populations.
Further research should also investigate the etiology of increased incidence of cancer among Hispanic Ayas.
The cause of the increase can be multi-factorial. the risk of testicular cancer in Hispanic white Ayas can potentially be mediated by nutritional factors such as adult size.
Height of Grand adult is a known risk factor for testicular cancer, and adult height has increased rapidly in the US Hispanic white population in recent decades.
Changing modifiable lifestyle choices modes such as the reported increase in marijuana use among Hispanic adolescents may also affect the incidence of testicular cancer.
where readers find more information?
Dog, FL, Schwartz SM Johnson, RH (2014), the increase in the incidence of germ cell tumors of the testes among Hispanic youth and young adults in the United States. Cancer. doi: 10.1002 / cncr.28684
About Dr. Rebecca Johnson
His medical training includes pediatrics, internal medicine, genetics and pediatric oncology. His research interests include the epidemiology of cancer, and she and her colleagues have recently reported that the incidence of metastatic breast cancer is increasing among women under 40 years.
She is also interested in fertility preservation and the use of new media to facilitate education, psychosocial support and treatment adherence in patients AYA oncology.
Johnson has participated in the development of the NCCN AYA Oncology Care Guidelines and the NCCN Guidelines for AYA cancer patients. She was co-chair of the steering committee of the LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance, vice president of the interim board of directors and later Emeritus Board of Critical Mass: Young Adult Cancer Alliance.
She is a member of the American Society of integrated media technology and clinical oncology Commission and advisory boards for both AYA Oncology Group Committee for Children and the Canadian Partnership for Task Force AYA cancer .
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