Cannabis Use and Incidence of Testicular Cancer: A 42-Year Follow-up of Swedish Men between 1970 and 2011

Abstract

Background Given current drug-policy reforms to decriminalize or legalize cannabis in numerous countries worldwide, it is critically important to understand the potential impacts of cannabis use on the development of cancer. The current study aims to assess the relation between cannabis use and the development of testicular cancer. Method The current study relied on a population-based sample (n = 49 343) of young men aged 18–21 years who underwent conscription assessment for Swedish military service in 1969–1970. The conscription process included a non-anonymous questionnaire eliciting information about drug use. Individual-level conscription information was linked to Swedish health and social registry data. Testicular cancers diagnosed between 1970 and 2011 were identified by ICD-7/8/9/10 testicular cancer codes in the Swedish National Patient Register, the Cancer Register, or the Cause of Death Register. Cox regression modeling was used to estimate the hazards associated with cannabis use and time to diagnosis of testicular cancer. Results No evidence was found of a significant relation between lifetime “ever” cannabis use and the subsequent development of testicular cancer [n = 45 250; 119 testicular cancer cases; adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1.42, 95% CI, 0.83, 2.45]. “Heavy” cannabis use (defined as usage of more than 50 times in lifetime, as measured at conscription) was associated with the incidence of testicular cancer (n = 45 250; 119 testicular cancer cases; AHR 2.57, 95% CI, 1.02, 6.50). Conclusion The current study provides additional evidence to the limited prior literature suggesting cannabis use may contribute to the development of testicular cancer.

An overview of the adverse effects of cannabis use for Canadian physicians

“…While interesting, it must be noted that these comparisons were made using data from only three studies, which contained data primarily collected from the United States of America in the 1990s. Similar examination of testicular cancer development and cannabis use was also explored in the same large Swedish conscription study (49,343 individuals) as mentioned above [59]. These data also demonstrated that there was no association between lifetime ever-use of cannabis and the development of testicular cancer.…”

Genomic Instability in Peripheral Blood and Buccal Mucosal Cells of Marijuana Smokers: The Impact of Tobacco Smoke

“…Hirao-Suzuki (2019) showed that Δ9-THC increases fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) expression in human breast cancer cells. Murphy et al, (2019) have assumed that cannabis use was associated with significantly lower sperm concentration and Callaghan et al, (2011) recently found a link between cannabis consumption and testicular cancer. However, some studies have postulated that cannabis inhibited tumor development.…”

Trends in cancer incidence in Uruguay:2002 - 2015

“…Other possible line of investigation could be the use of cannabis as risk factor for testicular cancer. Recent evidence suggests that regular and prolonged use of TCH could be a risk factor to develop germ cell tumors, especially the nonseminoma variants 49,50 . An increase in Marijuana use was observed in our country in the last two decades; eventually boosted by the Cannabis market regulation since 2015 51 .…”