This isn’t your daddy’s cancer scare.
Studies have previously linked low sperm count to an increase risk of cancer, but new research takes that a step further.
Researchers at the University of Tartu in Estonia found that men with a more general reproductive issue are also much more likely to also have genetic variants for cancer.
The warning sign? Infertility.
In men, infertility is defined as not being able to impregnate a woman after a year of having unprotected sex on a regular basis. Causes can range from insufficient or low-quality sperm, injury to the area, blockages and genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis.
Approximately 1 in 10 men have some sort of fertility issue in the US. Globally, sperm counts have dropped by as much as 50% in the last 50 years.
Prior studies have indicated that men with lower sperm counts face an increased risk of developing cancer over their lifetimes.
Moreover, both infertile men and their relatives have been observed to have a higher cancer risk, suggesting a potential genetic underpinning.
The new study, published in the journal Human Reproduction Open, attempted to explore this potential genetic predisposition by analyzing the data of 500 men with unexplained fertility problems.
Their findings were striking: Infertile men had five times as much of a risk of hereditary cancer as men who were fertile.
“We found that among infertile men, every 15th infertile man carried a predisposing genetic variant, compared to one in 64 fertile men,” lead author Anu Valkna, the chair of Human Genetics at the University of Tartu in Estonia, said.
“This may explain why infertile men have a higher cancer risk — they already have a genetic predisposition that makes the body more susceptible to cancer.”
The researchers also found a link between a family history of cancer and developing the disease.
“This supports the hypothesis that there is a predisposition in these families,” Valkna added.
The implications of these findings are significant, as men typically “seek medical attention for infertility at a younger age, usually before the progression and diagnosis of cancer,” Valkna said.
“Therefore, early identification of predisposed patients would offer effective monitoring and early interventions.”
“Moreover, since some hereditary cancer syndromes tend to disproportionately affect female family members, additional identification of at-risk family members would offer added clinical value to these families,” she added.