Increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer in infertility
A recent study has shown the link between infertility and prostate cancer with a high Gleason score. In infertile men cancer screening is therefore particularly important.
In recent years, several studies have been published about a possible connection between the fertility of men and their prostate cancer risk. In two studies childless men had a lower risk than men with children, one of them took the risk with the number of children from. In contrast, no association was in another be noted, however. Fertility (fertility) was assessed without special investigations only by the number of children in all these studies. The childlessness of a man, however, can also for example on the infertility (infertility) his partner lie or be a conscious decision. To eliminate these potential sources of error, now a new study was carried out:
Included in this retrospective (looking back) study were 19,106 men whose fertility was studied 1967-1998 in one of 15 centers in California. Based on the California Cancer Registry has now been determined how many of them of prostate cancer had occurred and how many cases would be expected, each isolated at all, low-grade (low grade, Gleason score 5-7) and high-grade tumors (high grade, Gleason score 8-10).
The results: 24% of those examined were infertile, 76% fertile. During the follow-up period of an average of 11.4 years, there were a total of slightly less often to prostate cancer than expected, with the proven fertility had a protective effect among them. In infertile men, the rate of low-grade tumors, the incidence of high-grade tumors, however, was only slightly higher, twice as high as expected. In direct comparison to fertile men infertile men had a significantly increased risk (called adjusted hazard ratio) of 1.8 for all tumors (80% higher), of 1.6 for low-grade tumors (60% higher) and of 2, 6 for high-grade tumors (160% higher). As the most important independent risk factor for prostate cancer, however, turned out an increasing age.
The results show a close correlation between the infertility (infertility) to fall ill of a man and his risk of prostate cancer later at a higher level. They suggest therefore that infertility is a risk factor for tumor requiring treatment. There could also be responsible with other factors. The assumption that infertile men can be examined frequently and therefore with them prostate cancer often is found but is not the case, since the incidence of cancer among them was even slightly lower than expected.
According to an Israeli study men have an increased risk for prostate cancer with stillborn or a few, especially male children. Thus (existing genetic material only in men), the Y-chromosome could be the link: genetic defects, faulty repair mechanisms of the genome and other genetic features could lead to infertility and so increase the risk of prostate cancer. But more likely, and for appealing to other studies, they form the common basis for both diseases by triggering them directly or reinforce harmful effects (eg through diet or environment).
Conclusion of the authors
The study provides new evidence of a possible association between infertility of a man and his risk for aggressive prostate cancer. You need to be confirmed and should give rise to further to search for possible common causes. Men who have an infertility was found, should be carried out checkups, as they have an increased risk specifically for high-grade prostate cancer.
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