News | Infertility and Cancer: Initial Findings on Family Risk Patterns
Research released by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology indicates that infertile men and their relatives have significantly higher risks of several cancers. Published in Human Reproduction, the study found that men with very low or no sperm counts, known respectively as oligozoospermia and azoospermia, and their families had higher cancer risks and developed cancer earlier than families of fertile men.
Led by Dr. Joemy Ramsay, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, the study aimed to improve understanding of the biological mechanisms linking cancer and infertility, help doctors predict cancer risk more accurately in infertile men and their relatives, and improve counseling.
Background
Earlier studies suggested that male infertility was associated with increased cancer risk in affected men and their relatives, but findings were inconsistent. Cancer risks and types varied substantially among family groups and by infertility type, including oligozoospermia and azoospermia.
Dr. Ramsay and colleagues analyzed semen results from 786 men attending fertility clinics in Utah from 1996 to 2017 and compared them with 5,674 reproductive-age men who had at least one child. The study included 426 men with azoospermia and 360 with severe oligozoospermia, defined as fewer than 1.5 million sperm per milliliter of semen.
The researchers used the Utah Population Database for information about first-, second-, and third-degree relatives and the Utah Cancer Registry for cancer diagnoses.
Findings
Families of men with azoospermia had a 156% higher risk of bone and joint cancer, 56% higher risk of soft-tissue cancer, 27% higher risk of uterine cancer, 60% higher risk of Hodgkin lymphoma, and 54% higher risk of thyroid cancer. Families of men with severe oligozoospermia had a 16% higher risk of colon cancer, 143% higher risk of bone and joint cancer, and 134% higher risk of testicular cancer, but a 61% lower risk of esophageal cancer.
The study also found considerable differences in cancer risk and type among families of infertile men, helping explain inconsistencies in earlier research. For example, only one-third of family clusters involving men with oligozoospermia had an increased risk of testicular cancer, and the increase varied from fourfold to 24-fold among clusters.
Significance
Dr. Ramsay said: “By identifying families with similar cancer-risk patterns, we can improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms of cancer and infertility. This will help us assess family cancer risk and provide better patient counseling.”
The team also conducted genetic sequencing studies to identify specific mutations that may drive the association between infertility and cancer.
A strength of the study was its use of population-registry data to examine family structure, cancer diagnoses, and infertility. Limitations included the lack of semen data for reproductive-age comparison men and lack of information on other health conditions, lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and BMI, and environmental risks.
News | Infertility and Cancer: Initial Findings on Family Risk Patterns
News | Infertility and Cancer: Initial Findings on Family Risk Patterns
Research released by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology indicates that infertile men and their relatives have significantly higher risks of several cancers. Published in Human Reproduction, the study found that men with very low or no sperm counts, known respectively as oligozoospermia and azoospermia, and their families had higher cancer risks and developed cancer earlier than families of fertile men.
Led by Dr. Joemy Ramsay, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, the study aimed to improve understanding of the biological mechanisms linking cancer and infertility, help doctors predict cancer risk more accurately in infertile men and their relatives, and improve counseling.
Background
Earlier studies suggested that male infertility was associated with increased cancer risk in affected men and their relatives, but findings were inconsistent. Cancer risks and types varied substantially among family groups and by infertility type, including oligozoospermia and azoospermia.
Dr. Ramsay and colleagues analyzed semen results from 786 men attending fertility clinics in Utah from 1996 to 2017 and compared them with 5,674 reproductive-age men who had at least one child. The study included 426 men with azoospermia and 360 with severe oligozoospermia, defined as fewer than 1.5 million sperm per milliliter of semen.
The researchers used the Utah Population Database for information about first-, second-, and third-degree relatives and the Utah Cancer Registry for cancer diagnoses.
Findings
Families of men with azoospermia had a 156% higher risk of bone and joint cancer, 56% higher risk of soft-tissue cancer, 27% higher risk of uterine cancer, 60% higher risk of Hodgkin lymphoma, and 54% higher risk of thyroid cancer. Families of men with severe oligozoospermia had a 16% higher risk of colon cancer, 143% higher risk of bone and joint cancer, and 134% higher risk of testicular cancer, but a 61% lower risk of esophageal cancer.
The study also found considerable differences in cancer risk and type among families of infertile men, helping explain inconsistencies in earlier research. For example, only one-third of family clusters involving men with oligozoospermia had an increased risk of testicular cancer, and the increase varied from fourfold to 24-fold among clusters.
Significance
Dr. Ramsay said: “By identifying families with similar cancer-risk patterns, we can improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms of cancer and infertility. This will help us assess family cancer risk and provide better patient counseling.”
The team also conducted genetic sequencing studies to identify specific mutations that may drive the association between infertility and cancer.
A strength of the study was its use of population-registry data to examine family structure, cancer diagnoses, and infertility. Limitations included the lack of semen data for reproductive-age comparison men and lack of information on other health conditions, lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and BMI, and environmental risks.
Source:
Collected online