Male Infertility and Risk of Cancer

Abstract

Male infertility is a complex and incompletely understood process that is thought to affect around 10% of the male population. Infertility is a complex interaction between genetics and environmental factors, which is increasingly being recognized as a potential marker of contemporary or future medical disease, including cancer. The best characterized association between infertility and cancer risk is that of testicular germ cell tumor, but increased risk for prostate cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and others have also been described. Much like infertility, the mechanism behind these associations is not completely understood. Several hypotheses have been put forth including testicular dysgenesis syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities, damaged DNA repair mechanisms, or Y chromosome abnormalities. With the use of advance reproductive techniques, more men are bypassing a male fertility specialist who may be positioned to diagnose or counsel patients regarding these risks.

Male infertility: a biomarker of individual and familial cancer risk

“…Approximately 7.5% of American men have undergone semen analysis at an assisted reproduction center as part of a fertility evaluation, and each year nearly 700,000 men pursue an evaluation for male-factor infertility in the United States (2,3). There is a growing body of literature demonstrating that both male and female infertility may be associated with long-term health consequences, including an elevated risk of malignancy (4)(5)(6)(7). Historically, research has focused on the overall health of the female partner during an infertility evaluation.…”

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Male Infertility and the Subsequent Risk of Cancer

“…Male infertility is solely responsible for 10-30% of infertility cases and contribute to 50% of overall infertility cases (2,3). Although male infertility is not a reportable disease, the manifestations of male infertility can signify a future health concern (4)(5)(6). The growing body of literature suggests that male infertility can be a potential marker of contemporary or future medical diseases including cardiovascular metabolic and autoimmune disorders as well as mortality.…”

“…The growing body of literature suggests that male infertility can be a potential marker of contemporary or future medical diseases including cardiovascular metabolic and autoimmune disorders as well as mortality. However, exact mechanisms behind these associations remain elusive (6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

The Association Between Male Infertility and Cardiometabolic Disturbances: A Population-Based Study

“…While there has been extensive focus on female infertility, according to the literature, there is a correlation between some chronic disorders and male infertility, varying from cardiometabolic, autoimmune, and oncologic disorders to increased mortality rate later in life (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). The exact underlying pathophysiology of these associations remains unclear, although it is suggested that genetic, intrauterine environment and lifestyle factors may play a role (8,(10)(11)(12).…”