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Facteurs de risques environnementaux et/ou professionnels du cancer du testicule

Environmental and occupational risk factors for testis cancer

Résumé

Alors que de nombreux travaux confirment une nette et récente augmentation de l’incidence du cancer du testicule dans les pays industrialisés, l’analyse de la littérature sur les facteurs de risque environnementaux et/ou professionnels du cancer du testicule ne permet pas de dégager d’hypothèses fortes et cohérentes dans ce domaine. On retiendra toutefois une relation potentielle entre « exposition aux pesticides » et cancer du testicule, hypothèse qui demande cependant à être validée par d’autres études incluant de bien meilleures caractérisations des types et modalités d’expositions aux différents pesticides. Quant aux expositions professionnelles liées au monde industriel (métallurgie, fonderie, chimie, etc.) et susceptibles de jouer un rôle dans la survenue du cancer du testicule, les résultats, soit trop discordants, soit portant sur de très faibles effectifs, ne permettent aucunement, à ce jour, de conclure à un effet majeur.

Abstract

Despite a low overall incidence (1% of all malignant neoplasms), testicular cancer is the most common malignancy among young men. Over the last 40 years, this incidence rate has substantially risen in most industrialised countries. However, the aetiology of testicular cancer remains largely unknown. Only cryptorchidism, and to a lesser extent a family history of testicular cancer, may be considered to be well established risk factors.

Numerous attempts have been made to assess the potential role of occupational exposures in adult life as a risk factor for TC, but no clear hypotheses have yet emerged from previous studies in this field. A major limitation of all occupational studies is that no single toxic substance has been clearly identified, and consequently the significant association observed between some job titles and risk of testicular cancer must be interpreted very carefully. In this respect, comparative occupational studies of exposed and non-exposed workers including rigorous and valid job-matrix exposure assessment are needed to study potential relationships between certain occupational exposures and testicular cancer.

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Thonneau, P., Walschaerts, M. & Muller, A. Facteurs de risques environnementaux et/ou professionnels du cancer du testicule. Androl. 17, 313–320 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03040363

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