But it’s too soon to make any recommendations, and overall risk is low, researcher says
TUESDAY, Feb. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Men who’ve had testicular cancer may be at increased risk for prostate cancer, although that risk is low, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Feb. 26 to 28 in Orlando, Fla.
Researchers analyzed data for 179,479 American men and found that 12.6 percent of those with a history of testicular cancer developed prostate cancer by age 80, compared with 2.8 percent of those who never had testicular cancer. Men who’d had testicular cancer were also more likely to develop intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer (5.8 versus 1.1 percent).
Overall, testicular cancer was associated with a 4.7 times higher risk for prostate cancer and a 5.2 times higher risk for intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer, the researchers said. “Men with a history of testicular cancer should talk with their doctor about assessing their risk for prostate cancer, given there may be an increased risk,” senior study author Mohummad Minhaj Siddiqui, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in an ASCO news release.
It’s important to keep in mind that the chance of intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer is low, and that 95 percent of testicular cancer patients will not get prostate cancer, Siddiqui noted. “It is too soon to make any practice recommendations based on this single study, but the findings provide groundwork for further research into the biologic link between the two diseases.”
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