This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Published on September 26, 2019, a study in the British Medical Journal found a significant link between fertility treatment and the risk of prostate cancer in men.
The study, which examined 1.2 million pregnancies in Sweden between 1994 and 2014, revealed that men who achieved fatherhood through assisted reproduction had a 'remarkably high risk' of prostate cancer.
Researchers grouped the participants into three categories: those who conceived naturally, those who used IVF, and those who used intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The study found that men who used IVF had a 33% increased risk of developing prostate cancer, while those who used ICSI had a 54% increased risk before the age of 55.
The study's authors noted that the exact biological link between male infertility and prostate cancer is not yet clear, but abnormalities on the Y chromosome linked to both conditions are a possibility.
Experts have urged couples not to be discouraged by the results, emphasizing the need for further research to fully understand the relationship between fertility treatment and prostate cancer risk.
