Marijuana Use Linked to Testicular Cancer

A new study supports previous findings that suggest marijuana use may be linked to an increased risk for testicular cancer.

Marijuana, hemp and cannabis are common names for plants of the genus Cannabis. The term hemp is often used for cannabis strains grown specifically for production of paper, rope and cloth. Other cannabis strains are used to make recreational and medicinal drugs. The major difference between the main types of cannabis plants is the amount of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) they contain.

Cannabis has been studied for the treatment of a number of conditions, including eczema, epilepsy, chronic pain, insomnia and symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The most significant benefits have been found in the treatment of chronic pain and symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

In a recent study, researchers analyzed data on 163 men diagnosed with testicular cancer and 292 men of similar characteristics without cancer to evaluate the potential association between recreational drug use and testicular cancer risk.

The researchers found that compared to men who had never used marijuana, men who had used marijuana at least once had twice the risk of developing testicular cancer. Conversely, cocaine use was linked to a decreased risk for cancer.

Testicular cancer may be identified as seminoma or non-seminoma. Non-seminoma turmors may be further identified as embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac carcinoma, choriocarcinoma and teratoma. Tumors are also often mixed with various types. When evaluated for tumor type, marijuana use was specifically linked to increased risk for non-seminoma and mixed tumors.

The authors concluded that marijuana use may be linked to an increased risk for testicular cancer. A study published in 2009 reported similar findings; however, this only suggests a potential association and does not prove a cause and effect relationship. Further research is necessary.

For more information about marijuana, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Comments

[kj]

I would not feel comfortable drawing conclusions from this study. As a few mentioned about there are several limitations to this study. I believe this is more an association find than a cause and effect type of result. I find it hard to believe that one time use of marijuana will cause cancer later in life. I like a point brought up that men who smoke marijuana may do other things that put their health at risk. there are too many confounding variables that could be taken into place here.

[KS]

According to an article on the same subject on abcnew.com, the reason marijuana may increase the risk of testicular cancer is because it may disrupt the regulation of testosterone, decreasing the development and function of the testes in a way that makes the testes more vulnerable to cancer. However, I think more well designed studies need to be conducted before this can be considered a true connection. This definitely wasn't the most well designed study, but it is interesting and it would be good to know if there really is a true relationship there.

[SZ]

This is an interesting study in relation to the current push for marijuana legalization. Marijuana has been legal in California and last month became legalized in Connecticut to treat different types of medical conditions. There have also been states who have been decriminalizing carrying a small amount of marijuana. There seems to be a movement toward marijuana use. In light of this, I find studies like this extremely encouraging because I believe that patients should have a broad range of knowledge about drugs or treatments and their risks and benefits. I think that's something patients are given with prescription medication, so if marijuana is going to be legalized, studies should be as extensive and rigorous.

[nb]

When I visited California a few years back, people were smoking marijuana at the beach freely, and the cops were around, but did not do anything about it. Working at a pharmacy, I had several patients tell me they used marijuana to treat their back pain, arthritis pain, etc. However, there are alternative options to marijuana in treating pain, such as opioid medications, yoga and exercising, acupuncture, and others that would not only alleviate pain, but do not increase one's risk of getting testicular cancer.

[nh]

I am not familiar with the link that cannabis and cancer have but this article has made me want to seek more knowledge. I find it interesting and somewhat exciting when a new study comes out supporting another study, regardless of the topic. I know many people and cultures swear by the medicinal and “other” effects of marijuana. I think it would be interesting to see if there is an association in these people and cultures and, as pointed out from other commenters, what effect the new California law has on testicular cancer rates.

[My Lien]

Naan brings up an interesting point- the confounding effects of poor health. The study did include controls were matched on age, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood - these may control for some confounders - although there is not enough information in the abstract. I requested the article to read fully and perhaps can add more info later.

[ML]

Following along naan's comment: the population they enrolled for this study began with 163 patients diagnosed with testicular germ cell tumor, and then these subjects were matched with 292 controls based on race, age, and neighborhood in Los Angeles County. It makes you question how applicable this study is when generalizing it to the population. I suppose more research is needed.

[lm]

This study does not seem to be very well designed. It is interesting that they had nearly twice as many controls as testicular cancer patients, and that they only compared ever using marijuana versus never using marijuana. The patients age range was not noted in the abstract, but I find it hard to believe that using marijuana once early in life could greatly increase the risk of testicular cancer in an elderly patient. In addition, the subjects were enrolled between 1986-1991, so it is hard to say if this information is currently accurate. This is interesting information, but I think this topic should be researched more carefully before a conclusion can be made.

[NA]

It is always interesting to read about the negative effects that a medication might have despite its potential to treat other ailments. This commonly occurs not only with natural products, but with synthetically manufactured drugs too. Marijuana continues to be a great source of controversy. The outcomes of this study that revealed a possible increased risk of testicular cancer provides more support to opponents of marijuana usage.

[ss]

There might be other factors, for example, men on marijuana are more likely to drink and use other drugs. It is unclear as how tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical compound in marijuana smoke reduces the levels of testosterone. More work is needed to reveal how marijuana use affects testicular cancer risk.

[Robynholman]

Angela, I know that here in MA legalization of marijuana will be on the ballot in November. Last year or two years ago it was decriminalized, so now they are leaning towards legalizing it. I wonder if these results or possible links to testicular cancer will make their way into the campaign ads this fall. I agree that other studies with a rigid clinical trial format should be completed. I am curious if they will ever find a mechanism of action for why it leads to or is associated with non-seminoma testicular cancers, because those tend to be seen less often than seminoma testicular cancers.

[ee]

This is a very interesting finding. Marijuana has been used for many years, why is its use concerning now? Celebrities like Montel Williams who uses medical marijuana for multiple sclerosis, are strong proponents legalizing marijuana. Also, nowadays, a lot of cancer patients in states like California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Maine, just to name a few, depend on medical marijuana for pain relief. I look forward to reading more about this finding.

[naan]

This is useful information for consumers, however, I find it interesting how they conducted the study. I don't think the results could be very accurate considering they had a small sample size and just tried to get men that had similar characteristics. They probably also didn't look at confounding variables. Drug use is often associated with lower socioeconomic classes, which are also correlated with lower health overall. Therefore, men that smoke marijuana probably do a lot of other things that are detrimental to their health and probably should be taken into account when linking cancer back to the cause.

[Angela]

I wonder what the effect of California's legalization of medicinal marijuana would have on testicular cancer risk. This would be very interesting to track, as more and more states seem to be moving towards looser regulations on marijuana use and decriminalizing marijuana.