Men who are more sexually active in their 20s and 30s may run a higher risk of prostate cancer, research suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7850666.stm

The Nottingham University study quizzed 800 men on how often they had sex or masturbated.

Those who were most active while younger had more chance of developing cancer later in life.

The researchers said higher levels of sex hormones could lead to a bigger sex drive and the cancer, the journal BJU International reported.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with well over 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

It affects the prostate gland, which is found close to the bladder and makes a component of semen.

The Nottingham team, led by Dr Polyxeni Dimitropoulou, recruited more than 400 men diagnosed with prostate cancer, then compared their answers to 409 men thought to be free of the disease.

As well as questions about how often they had been sexually active from puberty onwards, they were asked how many sexual partners they had had and whether they had been diagnosed with any sexual infections.

Roughly the same proportion of both groups, 59%, said they had engaged in sexual activity 12 times a month or more in their 20s, falling to 48% in their 30s, 28% in their 40s and 13% in their 50s.

Almost two-fifths of the prostate cancer group had had six female partners or more, compared with less than a third of the non-cancer group.

Frequency risk

There was also a difference among the men who masturbated or had sex the most often, with 40% of men in the cancer group being sexually active 20 times a month or more in their 20s, compared with 32% in the non-cancer group.

The gap between the two groups narrowed as the men aged, suggesting that the difference was strongest at a younger age.

Dr Dimitropoulou said: "What makes our study stand out from previous research is that we focused on a younger age group than normal and included both intercourse and masturbation at various stages in the participants' lives."

He said that it was possible that higher levels of sex hormones in some men were both responsible for a high sex drive in their 20s and 30s, and for the development of prostate cancer later on.

"Hormones appear to play a key role in prostate cancer and it is very common to treat men with therapy to reduce the hormones thought to stimulate the cancer cells."

He said that the reasons why the connection between sexual activity and prostate risk appeared to diminish with advancing age was not clear, although other studies have suggested that sexual activity releases toxins from the gland.

John Neate, chief executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said that while the study was useful, its findings would need to be backed by more evidence before they could be accepted

He said: "The role of sexual activity is becoming an increasing focus for prostate cancer research but unfortunately this study does little to offer any practical advice to men wishing to reduce their risk of the disease.

"The study is retrospective, and asks men to complete a questionnaire about their sexual history.

"However, in relying on men to recall information from 20 or 30 years previously, it is likely that there will be some inaccuracy in the data collected as men either consciously or unconsciously forget some detail which could compromise their findings.

"The sample used in the study is also relatively small, making it difficult to draw any universal conclusions."

I'm fucked.

I am a child of the '70s, so... I am SOOOOOO dead.

ETA: after some further thought, it was worth it!

Damn, beat me to it by that much. Same here.

Well thank God I was married for three years in my 20's.  Those three years of forced abstinence may save my life.

I wonder if it has anything to do with exposure to the cancer causing HPV strains.

well I'm screwed, but the threesome was worth it

I'm fucked.

AW, FUCK!!!!!!!!!

Yep...

then it is true masturbation is unhealthy and can cause cancer, hair loss, near sightedness.

That's the exact opposite of what I read about 6-7 years ago.  Frequent ejaculations gave you less of a chance of getting prostate cancer.  I'm confused.

It's about quality, not quantity.

Life, that is.

Its my understanding that hereditary plays a large part as well.
My Grandfather had it (Died) and my Father had his removed (still a live and well).

I am TRULY fucked!!

They don't know anything new.  They just have statistics.  

You forgot obesity......

I am going to die

That's what I was thinking.



 

Yet more bad news from the Center for Shit You Can't Control.

Where exactly do you get in line to add your
masturbation stats to a research study?

ETA: Any thread with Apache Scouts avatar in it may lead to masturbation.

I think genetics has the biggest influence wrt cancer.

This is in stark contrast to an article that was in JAMA a few years ago that was fairly extensive and linked frequent ejaculation with diminished risk of prostate cancer. Also 800 men is a fairly small sample size, I for one am not going to loose sleep over this study.

According to that article, this might be my last post.

Wait.  Wasn't it more sex equals less risk for years?

I don't think masturbation exposes you to HPV, and this study includes masturbation as sexual activity.

Don't this beat all.

Your are exactly correct.  There was even an article posted 1-2 years ago about this same topic saying that men who whacked off more, had a lower chance of developing prostate cancer.



But who the fuck cares, we all die.

Ban fapping, for the children.

Start my obituary, I'm fucked. Figuratively and literally.

Just to make you all feel better...

I had my gland cut out at age 51.  Cancer.  

If you notice, the research was not very reliable or valid even by their own admission.

Anyhoo...the recent feeling in the med community is that EVERY man will develop prostate cancer.  It is just a matter of time.  Many develop very late in life.
Many will die from something else anyway.  

Have you noticed when you get older you have to pee more frequently......

That Depends...

Might as well cut it out right now

Dead Man walking here.

I had an oncologist tell me that if a man could live free from any other medical issue or disease, he would eventually develop prostate cancer.

It seems that it's nature's little timebomb that we all carry around.

Same here.

For some reason, I don't think telling my son "if you keep pulling that thing, you're gonna get prostate cancer" will work as well as you'll go blind.....


lol

TXL

I read the same thing a couple of years ago....

OK guys.  Here is the no shit advice.

At age 50 go get your PSA checked.  If you have family history of prostate cancer do it at 40.

Have a nice day.

Does your pecker work without a prostate?

TXL

Does this mean, early screenings will include examining the palms of the hands for callouses?

this

Yes... but little to no more baby batter.

But does continuing to bump uglies at an alarming rate in your 40's reduce the rate???

Actually, there was a study done 6 or 8 months ago (that someone posted here) that said the exact opposite.

That men who were more sexually active were far LESS likely to develop prostate cancer.

Yup, when sex was clean and the air was dirty.  I'm fucked.  But I'm still

smilin!