Infertile Men Are Likelier to Get Testicular Cancer, Study Says
Some common cause probably underlies infertility and cancer, the authors wrote in the study, published online today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The research, the largest so far to investigate whether there is a link between the two conditions, is likely to spur more questions about the connection.
The incidence of testicular cancer, the most common malignancy in American men from ages 15 to 34, almost doubled from 1975 to 2002, according to background information in the article. During that time, sperm quality and fertility declined, the authors wrote.
“Whats different about my daily life than my fathers?” said Thomas Walsh, an assistant professor of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and the studys lead author. “My risk of testicular cancer is much higher. What am I exposed to?”
Previous research found men are more likely to be infertile if they went through puberty early, had testicular trauma, smoked cigarettes or marijuana or were exposed to toxic substances such as lead, according to the Yale Medical Group.
In the new study, data from more than 51,000 California couples who were evaluated for infertility were examined. Of these, about 22,000 men were identified on the California Cancer Registry. The authors found 34 diagnoses of testicular cancer following a couples treatment for infertility, compared with an expected 25.
Excess Cases
Among men who were identified as infertile, 13 cases were found, compared with an expected five. In the men who werent identified as infertile, no excess cases were found.
Symptoms of the cancer include a lump in the testicle, an ache in the groin, enlarged breasts and unexplained fatigue. Researchers dont know what causes testicular cancer, though risk factors include being white, having an undescended testicle or having a family history of the testicular cancer. Cases were unlikely to be caused by fertility treatments, the researchers wrote.
In the overall male population, about five men of every 100,000 are diagnosed with the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Men who are infertile have a higher risk of testes cancer, and they should be told that and taught how to do a self-exam,” Walsh said. “But I dont want these men to think I need to constantly examine myself and worry about this. The absolute risk is still quite low.”
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and from the California Urology Foundation.