Based on PubMed | Does drinking coffee increase the risk of testicular cancer?

Coffee does not appear to increase the risk of testicular cancer, based on the best available medical sources. Testicular cancer risk is primarily linked to factors like a history of an undescended testicle (cryptorchidism), prior testicular cancer, certain developmental conditions, and family history, rather than dietary habits such as coffee intake. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

What we know about testicular cancer risk

• Key established risk factors include having had an undescended testicle, a previous testicular cancer, certain abnormalities in testicular development, and White race; most cases occur between ages 20–39. ^{[1] [2]}
• Lifestyle factors (like coffee drinking) are not recognized as causes of testicular germ cell tumors by major cancer centers. ^[3]
• The precise cause involves DNA changes in germ cells, but coffee has not been implicated in this process. ^[1]

Coffee and cancer, broadly

• Large overviews of coffee and cancer show either neutral or protective associations for many cancer sites; importantly, they do not identify a link between coffee and increased cancer risk in male reproductive organs such as the prostate, and they do not cite evidence for testicular cancer risk. ^{[4] [5]}
• For urologic cancers more broadly, coffee shows no increase in kidney or bladder cancer in pooled cohort data, and may even be associated with lower prostate cancer risk; again, no testicular signal is reported. ^{[6] [7]}

What about testicular cancer specifically?

• Major clinical resources that list established testicular cancer risk factors do not include coffee or caffeine. This absence is meaningful: if coffee increased risk, it would typically be listed alongside established factors. ^{[1] [2] [3]}
• Perinatal factors (such as cryptorchidism, birthweight, gestational age, and twinning) show associations with testicular cancer, highlighting that early-life and developmental factors rather than adult coffee consumption are more relevant to risk. ^[8]

Practical guidance

• Based on current evidence, moderate coffee consumption does not need to be avoided to reduce testicular cancer risk. ^{[5] [4]}
• Focus on awareness and early detection: perform regular testicular self-exams and seek medical evaluation for any painless lump, swelling, change in testicular feel, dull lower abdominal or groin ache, sudden fluid buildup in the scrotum, or testicular heaviness. ^[1]
• If you have strong risk factors (e.g., history of undescended testicle or prior testicular cancer), discuss personalized surveillance with your clinician. ^{[1] [2]}

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Summary table

Topic	Evidence summary	Takeaway
Coffee and testicular cancer	No recognized association in authoritative risk factor lists; no epidemiologic signal reported	Coffee is not considered a testicular cancer risk factor
Coffee and other urologic cancers	Neutral for kidney/bladder; possible inverse association with prostate in cohort meta-analyses	No need to limit coffee for urologic cancer prevention based on current data
Established testicular cancer risks	Cryptorchidism, prior testicular cancer, certain developmental factors, family history, age 20–39	Focus on known risks and symptom awareness

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Bottom line

• There is no good evidence that drinking coffee increases the risk of testicular cancer, and major medical references do not list coffee or caffeine as a risk factor. ^{[1] [2] [3]}
• Broader cancer research generally finds coffee to be neutral or even protective for several cancer types, with no identified risk for testicular cancer. ^{[4] [5]}

If you notice any testicular changes such as a painless lump or swelling, it’s wise to get checked promptly, since testicular cancer is highly treatable when found early. ^[1]