US EPA

2851825 

Journal Article 

Trends in testicular germ cell cancer incidence in Eastern Croatia 

Sudarević, B; Radoja, I; Šimunović, D; Kuveždić, H 

2014 

1 

Ljekarska Komora Zenicko-Dobojskog Kantona. Medicinski Glasnik
ISSN: 1840-0132
EISSN: 1840-2445 

11 

1 

152-158 

English 

24496357 

AIM: To investigate a possible association between radioactive and toxic elements contamination, mainly depleted uranium (DU) from the Chernobyl accident, Croatian War of Independence and Bosnian War and the increasing incidence of testicular germ cell cancers (TGCC) in the population of Eastern Croatia.

METHODS: From 1969 to 2012, 258 testicular cancer (TC) patients were treated at the Department of Urology, University Hospital Centre Osijek. Incomplete data were found in 32 patients who were excluded from the analysis and 10 patients had non-TGCC TC. Seminoma and non-seminoma groups were included out of 216 TGCC patients. The patients were assigned to one of the time periods: 1969-1995 (distant prewar and war period) and 1996- 2012 (postwar period).

RESULTS: In the postwar period 3.5 times higher incidence rate for non-seminomas (4.5 patients yearly vs. 1.3), seminomas (4.2 vs. 1.2) and TGCC overall (8.7 vs. 2.5) was found compared to the prewar period, with non-seminoma presenting in more advanced stage III (35.5% vs. 13.9%, p=0.013).

CONCLUSION: Usage of depleted uranium in armed conflicts could lead to the development of TGCC after unknown time of latency. Exposure assessment is mandatory to determine a possible causative correlation between the depleted uranium exposure and testicular germ cell cancer.