Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #438

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Men Who Don't ‘Shoot Straight' When Going to the Loo Have Greater Risk of Cancer, Study of 1.5mMen Shows
By Henry Bodkin, in San Antonio
At first glance, it may appear more of an anatomical quirk than a har- binger of serious disease. But scien- tists have discov- ered that men who struggle to “shoot straight” face a significantly increased risk from
several cancers.
Presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a study involving more than 1.5 million men found stark links between stomach, skin and testicular cancers and Peyronie’s Disease.
Also referred to as
penile fibrosis, the condition presents as curvature of the penis and affects around 155,000 male adults in the UK.
A review of patient data by Baylor College in the Houston found those with the con- dition are at a 40 per cent higher risk of testicular
cancer, a 29 per cent higher risk of melanoma and a 40 percent increased likeli- hood of stomach cancer.
The team behind the disease said men with Peyronie’s should be closely moni- tored for cancer in a bid to catch any development early, however British experts have raised doubts over the practicability of wide-scale routine screening.
The researchers conducted further genetic analysis of a father and son both suffering from
Peyronie’s, discov- ering they shared a set of genes known to predis- pose people to urological cancers.
"We think this is important because these conditions are largely taken for granted,”
said Dr Alexander Pastuszak, who led the study.
“While they’re sig- nificant in the sex- ual and reproduc- tive life-cycles of these patients, linking them to other disorders suggest that these men should be monitored for development of these disorders disproportionately in contrast to the rest of the popula- tion.
“Nobody has made these associations before.”
Dr Pastuszak said the condition shared a common molecular pathway with Dupurytren’s
disease, a hand deformity, and led- derhose disease, a thickening of tissue on the feet.
Emma Shields, from Cancer Research UK, said: “It’s not yet fully understood what causes Peyronie’s disease and it’s possible it shares some simi- lar risk factors to cancer.
“Screening for can- cer isn’t always beneficial and comes with harms, so it’s essential screening pro- grammes are backed by robust evidence.”
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iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine