The objective of the study was to assess testicular cancer in infertile men utilizing a cohort study methodology. Couples evaluated for infertility from 1965 to 1995 from 15 California infertility centers comprise a database of over 51,000 couples. Medical records of male partners were reviewed and linked to the California Cancer Registry, the cumulative Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry for the State of California. Cancers preceding infertility were excluded from analysis. The incidence of testicular cancer in this cohort was compared to age-matched men from the general population

Men from infertile couples were 60% more likely to develop cancer than other men (standardized incidence ratio I .6 95% confidence interval I .2 to 2.2). This risk was relatively constant across all age strata.

The authors conclude that men with a history of infertility have a markedly increased risk of subsequently developing testicular cancer.

Editorial Comment:
This is another study demonstrating the association between infertility and testicular cancer. The most common histology was seminoma. However, this study indentified men of infertile couples not necessarily men with male factor infertility. Since it was a secondary data analysis study there was an opportunity of classification error. That being said its findings are consistent with previous reports linking male factor infertility and testicular cancer

Reference:
Fertility and Sterility Sept 2007; 88(Supplement 1):S22
doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.07.088
Authors:
Walsh, M. Schembri, P. J. Turek. Ni, S. Croughan. Department of Urology, University of California. San Francisco, (Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, University of California. San Francisco, CA.

Reported by Harris M. Nagler, M.D., a Contributing Editor with UroToday.

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Source: UroToday