National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Sertoli cell-only syndrome

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My son has been diagnosed some time ago with this syndrome and there is now a question over cancer. How likely is this to occur?
Yes, several studies have found that the prevalence of testicular nodules and cancer in men with Sertoli-cell-only syndrome is increased compared to the general population. Some reports cite this number as a 26% risk of nodules and a 10.5% risk of testicular cancer. Due to this increased risk clinical testicular cancer screening by a doctor is recommended.[1][2][3] However in 2016, a published study did not find an increased risk of testicular cancer for men with azoospermia, though the medical researchers suggested this may be due to the small number of men participating in the study who had azoospermia.[4] 
Last updated: 9/12/2016

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  1. Kim ED, Mobley III JD, Stewart AF, and Moss J. Sertoli-Cell-Only Syndrome. Medscape Reference. April 17, 2015; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/437884-overview.
  2. ManciniM, Carmignani L, Gazzano G, Sagone P, Gadda F, Bosari S, Rocco F, and Colpi GM. High prevalence of testicular cancer in azoospermic men without spermatogenesis. Human Reproduction. January 12, 2007; 22:1042-1046. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/4/1042.full.pdf.
  3. Eisenberg ML, Betts P, Herder D, Lamb DJ, and Lipshultz LI. Increased risk of cancer among azoospermic men. Fertil Steril. September 2013; 100(3):681-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3759541/.
  4. Hanson HA, Anderson RE, Aston KI, Carrell DT, Smith KR,and Hotaling JM. Subfertility increases risk of testicular cancer: evidence from population-based semen samples. Fertil Steril. February 2016; 105(2):322-328. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26604070.
  5. Hanson HA, Anderson RE, Aston KI, Carrell DT, Smith KR,and Hotaling JM. Subfertility increases risk of testicular cancer: evidence from population-based semen samples. Fertil Steril. February 2016; 105(2):322-328. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26604070.