PFAS and Testicular Cancer

By David Meldofsky, California-licensed attorney · Founder, Lawsuit Informer

Last updated: September 7, 2026

Research has linked PFAS exposure, particularly the compound PFOA, to an increased risk of testicular cancer. Alongside kidney cancer, testicular cancer is one of the two cancers with the most consistent human evidence connecting it to PFOA, and it was among the conditions the C8 Science Panel identified as having a probable link. An established link is not the same as proof that PFAS caused any one person's cancer, which is a separate, fact-specific question.

For broader context, you can also start with PFAS water contamination lawsuits, review the current PFAS lawsuit update, or explore PFAS and kidney cancer and cancers linked to lawsuits.

Is There a Link Between PFAS and Testicular Cancer?

Yes, scientific research has identified an association between exposure to certain PFAS, especially PFOA, and an increased risk of testicular cancer. Together with the kidney, the testicles have been one of the most consistently reported cancer sites in studies of people exposed to PFOA. This is one reason testicular cancer is frequently discussed in PFAS contamination research and litigation.

As with any environmental exposure, an association means that a more highly exposed group developed the cancer at higher rates than a comparison group. That is different from proving, in any individual case, that PFAS was the cause of that person's cancer. Individual causation depends on exposure level, duration, timing, and personal risk factors.

What the Research Shows

A few major lines of research inform the current understanding of PFAS and testicular cancer:

• The C8 Science Panel. After litigation over PFOA contamination from a chemical plant in the Mid-Ohio Valley, an independent science panel studied roughly 69,000 highly exposed residents. The panel concluded there was a "probable link" between PFOA exposure and testicular cancer, as well as kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and high cholesterol.
• The Air Force study. In 2023 federal researchers measured PFAS in blood banked before diagnosis from more than a thousand Air Force servicemen and found higher PFOS linked to testicular cancer. It is covered in its own section below.
• The IARC classification. In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Its evaluation cited positive associations including kidney and testicular cancer.

Why the Testicles May Be Affected

PFAS such as PFOA are understood to act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with the body's hormone systems. Because the development and function of testicular tissue is closely tied to hormone signaling, researchers have examined whether long-term PFAS exposure could affect that tissue in ways relevant to cancer development.

Researchers have also studied how PFAS may influence oxidative stress and cellular processes more broadly. The exact biological mechanisms are still being investigated, but the combination of human epidemiological associations and mechanistic plausibility is part of why scientific and regulatory bodies have treated the testicular cancer findings seriously.

The Air Force Study

Most of what is known about PFAS and disease comes from studying towns near contaminated water. Testicular cancer is the one place where researchers studied the military directly. How they did it matters, because the design answers the objection people usually raise.

In July 2023 researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the Uniformed Services University published a study in Environmental Health Perspectives using the Department of Defense Serum Repository, which holds blood samples routinely drawn from servicemembers and stored for years. They found 530 airmen who were diagnosed with testicular cancer while on active duty. Each one was matched with an airman of similar background who stayed healthy. Then the researchers measured PFAS in blood drawn before anyone got sick.

That sequencing is the point. In most studies the blood is tested after the diagnosis. That leaves room to argue the illness or its treatment changed the result. Here the samples came first, so that argument does not work.

The airmen with higher blood levels of PFOS had a higher risk of testicular cancer. Other PFAS the researchers tested showed no such association. Separately, higher PFAS levels tracked with having served as a firefighter, and more weakly with having been stationed at a base where the drinking water carried high PFAS levels.

The National Cancer Institute called it the first study to measure PFAS in a U.S. military population and look at a cancer outcome. It also noted one more fact: testicular cancer is the cancer most often diagnosed in active-duty servicemen.

That last fact is worth sitting with. The person affected here is often in his twenties or thirties rather than his seventies, and he may still be serving. The illness arrives decades earlier in life than most of the conditions linked to PFAS.

Which PFAS Are Involved

PFAS are a large class of thousands of chemicals that have not all been studied equally. The strongest human evidence regarding testicular cancer involves PFOA, one of the most widely produced and best-studied PFAS. For most other individual PFAS compounds, the available human data on testicular cancer specifically is more limited.

To learn more about the chemicals and the broader category of claims, see PFAS water contamination lawsuits and PFAS consumer product lawsuits.

How People Are Exposed

Testicular cancer was one of the two cancers with the strongest signal in the C8 Science Panel work, and the exposure histories behind these claims usually involve years of contact rather than any single event. The routes that come up most often:

• Firefighting careers, both through AFFF firefighting foam and protective gear, given the heavily male occupational profile in these claims
• Drinking water from contaminated public systems or private wells, especially near bases, airports, and fire training grounds
• Work in or residence near PFAS manufacturing and processing facilities

Symptoms of Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is often first noticed as a change in one of the testicles. Possible signs include:

• A painless lump or swelling in a testicle
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin
• A change in how a testicle feels, or its size

These signs can have many causes unrelated to cancer. Only a qualified physician can evaluate them and make a diagnosis. This page is not a substitute for medical care.

PFAS, Testicular Cancer, and Lawsuits

Alongside kidney cancer, testicular cancer anchors the personal injury side of PFAS and AFFF firefighting foam litigation. What any individual claim comes down to is the exposure route, when and how the diagnosis was made, the medical records behind it, and the filing deadline that applies. These individual claims are separate from public water system settlements, which generally address testing and cleanup costs rather than personal injury.

For the legal side, see Cancers Linked to Lawsuits, AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuits, and the PFAS Lawsuit Statute of Limitations by State. For general next steps, review What Evidence Helps a Lawsuit?, What Happens After You Contact a Lawyer?, and How Lawsuits Work.

Common Questions About PFAS and Testicular Cancer

Does PFAS cause testicular cancer?

Research has linked PFAS exposure, particularly PFOA, to an increased risk of testicular cancer, and the C8 Science Panel found a probable link in a highly exposed population. An established association is not the same as proof that PFAS caused any individual person's cancer, which depends on that person's exposure history, diagnosis, and other risk factors.

Why are testicular and kidney cancer the two most discussed in PFAS cases?

They are the two cancers with the most consistent human evidence linking them to PFOA exposure, including findings from the C8 Science Panel and the basis cited by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Learn more about PFAS and kidney cancer →

I am young and I served. Does the research apply to me?

The 2023 federal study was built on exactly that population: active-duty Air Force servicemen, most of them young, with blood banked before any diagnosis. Testicular cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among active-duty servicemen, and firefighters showed the highest PFAS levels in that study. Whether any individual situation supports a claim depends on the facts, which is what a case review is for.

Who is most at risk of PFAS-related testicular cancer?

Concern has centered on people with long-term exposure to PFOA-contaminated drinking water and on occupational groups such as firefighters exposed to AFFF. Testicular cancer most often affects younger and middle-aged men, but risk in any individual depends on exposure and personal factors.

Can people with testicular cancer file a PFAS lawsuit?

Testicular cancer is one of the injuries discussed in PFAS and AFFF firefighting foam litigation. Whether a particular person has a claim depends on their exposure source, diagnosis, medical records, and their state's filing deadline, and should be reviewed with qualified counsel.

Sources

• National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, "PFAS and testicular cancer" (2023) — summary of the Air Force servicemen study and its design.
• Purdue MP et al., "A Nested Case-Control Study of Serum Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Testicular Germ Cell Tumors among U.S. Air Force Servicemen," Environmental Health Perspectives, July 2023 — the study itself.
• C8 Science Panel, Probable Link Evaluation reports, Mid-Ohio Valley PFOA studies.
• International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Monographs evaluation of PFOA and PFOS, 2023.
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS health effects materials.

Related PFAS and Illness Guides

About the Author

David Meldofsky is a California-licensed attorney and the founder of Lawsuit Informer.

He writes about lawsuits, toxic exposures, consumer safety issues, and legal process topics for readers seeking clear, accessible educational information.

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The information on this page is provided for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.