Do Vasectomies Increase Your Risk For Prostate Cancer?
If you have had a vasectomy, this one’s for you. Doctors have used vasectomies for several decades as a common form of birth control for men. The problem is that some studies have suggested that having a vasectomy increases your risk of prostate cancer. Still other studies have suggested that it results in a greater chance of the more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Now a new study may put this matter to rest.
The researchers just reported on a study of 84,753 men between the ages of 35 to 79 years. About 15% of them already had a vasectomy at the beginning of the study. The researchers monitored these men for an average of 15.4 years. During that time, 4,377 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of that group, 641 (14.6%) had a vasectomy. This clearly shows that there was no additional risk of prostate cancer in men who have had a vasectomy.
Furthermore…
the vasectomy men who did get prostate cancer did not have an increased incidence of high-grade cancer. In fact, although the results were not statistically valid, they indicated that a man with a vasectomy was 17% less likely to have high-grade cancer. In conclusion, the authors clearly stated, “These findings from a large European prospective study show no elevated risk for overall, high-grade, or advanced-stage prostate cancer, or death due to prostate cancer in men who have undergone a vasectomy compared with men who have not.”
So, if you have had a vasectomy, I think you can rest assured that you’re no more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than the next guy. That said, you’re still at risk. The stats show that about one in seven men will develop prostate cancer if they live long enough.
Yours for better health,
Dr. Jack Belitz, DC
PS Besides a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, and staying in great cardiovascular condition, there’s something else you can do. I always suggest Nutriplenish Male as the multi vitamin for men who are concerned about this.
Prevention is the key and these ideas will help. Call the office at 402-333-4848 and we will answer any questions you have!