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Infertility and prostate cancer are linked

Infertility and prostate cancer are linked

September 26, 2019

According to a Swedish study, men using assisted reproductive technology have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer in old age.

Common causes

Researchers have studied the link between fertility and the development of prostate cancer. Both of these health problems are associated with male sex hormones. Scientists identified participants who became fathers between 1994 and 2014 who had cancer twenty years after the birth of their child.

Results published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) show that men who used assisted reproductive technology were at higher risk develop prostate cancer compared to those who became parents naturally.

Sex hormone problems

Among men who became fathers by in vitro fertilization, ICSI (injection of a single sperm into the oocyte) and unassisted, 77 (0.37%), 63 (0.42%) and 3244 (0.28%) , respectively, have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The authors noted that men who used ICSI are most at risk. This technique is also associated with a risk of early cancer. The mechanism that links infertility and prostate cancer has not yet been identified. The study specifies that early detection is necessary. However, two endocrinology specialists at Imperial College London pointed out that screening has so far shown no improvement in the survival rate.

Stéphanie Haerts