Researchers from several California medical centers have reported that infertile men have an increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer. The details of this study were published early online on March 22, 2010 in Cancer.[1]

The relationship between fatherhood, fertility, and risk of prostate cancer is of current research interest. For example, researchers from Denmark have reported that men without children have a moderately reduced risk of prostate cancer.[2] Among men with children, they also reported a decreasing risk of prostate cancer with increasing number of children.

The current study evaluated the risk of prostate cancer in a cohort of 22,562 men who were evaluated for fertility between 1967 and 1998. There were 168 cases of prostate cancer. 

• Overall, this group did not have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
• On univariate analysis men with male factor infertility had a twofold increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer.
• On multivariate analyses men with male factor infertility had a 2.6-fold increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

These authors concluded:  “Male infertility may be an early identifiable risk factor for development of clinically significant prostate cancer.”

Comments: These data would suggest that men with male factor infertility should be screened for prostate cancer. Because most of these men will be under the age of 50 years, this will mean early initiation of PSA screening.

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