Both high and low birth weights increase the risk of testicular cancer according to a study done at Harvard Medical School where researchers pooled data from 13 studies of testicular cancer.

Testicular cancer in young men seems to happpen at a higher rate than those with a normal birth weight according to Dr. Athanasios Michos and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School.

The researchers found that, relative to men with a normal birth weight of 5 1/2 pounds to 10 pounds, those with a low birth weight were 18 percent more likely to develop testicular cancer; while men with a high birth weight were 12 percent more likely. Reasons related to these findings still remain unclear and further studies are needed.