Infertile men may be at greater risk for developing cancer

Infertile men who have significantly limited levels of sperm production may be at an increased risk for developing an even more serious health condition: cancer. In a new study led by urologists from the Stanford University School of Medicine, men under the age of 30 who were diagnosed with azoospermia – a form of infertility in which there are nomeasurable levels of sperm inthe ejaculate – had an eight-fold cancer risk compared to the general population. “The thought was that if the testicles don’t develop correctly, and they can’t produce sperm… the normal pathways get dysregulated, which perhaps leads to cancer,” lead author Dr. Michael Eisenberg, assistant professor of urology at Stanford and director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, told FoxNews.com. Infertility is a fairly common condition in the United States, affecting 4 million men. Of thisgroup, 5 to 10 percent are diagnosed as azoospermatic, and about 600,000 of these men are of reproductive age. There are two main reasons for the occurrence of azoospermia. In obstructive azoospermia, a blockage in the vas deferens, epididymis, or ejaculatory duct prohibits sperm from being released. Fortunately microsurgical reconstruction can help restore sperm into the man’s semen, allowing them reproduce normally. But in non-obstructive azoospermia,there is an unknown issue with sperm production, leadingto undetectable levels of sperm in the semen. While some treatments can help to extract the sperm for in vitro fertilization, therapies for thiskind of infertility are limited.