PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsMen with infertility could have double the risk of breast cancer

BioNews

Men with infertility could have double the risk of breast cancer

Published 23 May 2022 posted in News and appears in BioNews 1145

Author

Dr Malena Daich Varela

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

Male breast cancer accounts for around one percent of breast cancer cases in the UK and a new study suggests that men with infertility are twice as likely to develop it...

Male breast cancer accounts for around one percent of breast cancer cases in the UK and a new study suggests that men with infertility are twice as likely to develop it.

There is little awareness of the condition due to its rarity. Men who have it are often older at first presentation than women with breast cancer, and they have less favourable outcomes than women. Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research, London have recently published the results of their breast cancer in men case–control study.

'Our study suggests that infertile men may be twice as likely as those without fertility issues to develop breast cancer. The reasons behind this association are unclear, and there is a need to investigate the fundamental role of male fertility hormones on the risk of breast cancer in men. We hope this could lead to insights into the underlying causes of male, and possibly even female, breast cancer', said Dr Michael Jones, study senior author and staff scientist in genetics and epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Research.

Nearly two thousand men from England and Wales who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 2005-2017, and 1597 controls, were included in the study recently published in the journal Breast Cancer Research. They took part in interviews with a nurse where they provided information on whether or not they had children or had ever sought fertility treatment. They also provided a blood or saliva sample.

Analysis showed men who reported they had been diagnosed as having infertility had double the odds of developing breast cancer when compared with those without fertility issues. Furthermore, men without offspring had 50 percent increased odds of developing breast cancer, and this difference remained significant even if restricting the analysis to married men alone.

Researchers did not look at reasons for the link but suggested that hormones could play a role, and there is already some understanding that testicular problems that could lead to infertility could also affect hormonal production.

Dave, a former police officer from Bristol, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and said: 'My mother died from ovarian cancer when she was 68-years-old, and I knew there was a link between ovarian and breast cancer, but generally little is known about male breast cancer. People will say 'I didn't realise men could get that' and to be honest, I didn't think I would ever get it!'

'It's really interesting that if you're affected by fertility issues, you could be more likely to be affected by breast cancer. I'm lucky that I haven't been impacted by fertility problems, but it's important scientists build on Breast Cancer Now's research as it could help to find out what causes some male breast cancers and one day even lead to developing new treatments.'

Sources and References

  • 17/05/2022
    Guardian
    Infertile men may be twice as likely to develop breast cancer, study suggests
  • 17/05/2022
    Institute of Cancer Research
    Scientists report link between male infertility and breast cancer in men
  • 17/05/2022
    Breast Cancer Research
    Infertility and risk of breast cancer in men: a national case–control study in England and Wales
  • 19/05/2022
    Cancer Therapy Advisor
    Infertility linked to increased risk of breast cancer in men
  • 18/05/2022
    Express
    Breast cancer: 'Important' research uncovers risk factor for the development of a tumour

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
25 March 2021 • 2 minutes read

Genetic research suggests men can develop polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms

by Tsvetana Stoilova

Men carrying genetic risk factors for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to develop diabetes, obesity and male-pattern baldness...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
9 October 2020 • 2 minutes read

Mitochondrial DNA may predict male fertility

by Jennifer Frosch

A single-measure biomarker in sperm could replace traditional measures of male fertility, study shows...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
13 December 2019 • 3 minutes read

Underweight baby boys may have raised risk of infertility as adults

by Julianna Photopoulos

Boys born underweight for the amount of time they spent in the womb may have a higher risk of infertility in adulthood, a Danish cohort study has reported...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
27 September 2019 • 2 minutes read

Male infertility linked to higher risk of prostate cancer

by Jennifer Frosch

Men who have had fertility treatment to assist conception in the past have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, a Swedish cohort study has reported...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Insight into mitochondrial dysfunction in ageing

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
13 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Drop in diversity of blood stem cells leads to old-age health issues

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

UK report reveals public attitudes to fertility, genomics and embryo research

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Shortage of sperm donors despite men willing to donate

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

North East London CCG proposes offering three funded IVF cycles

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Fibrosis drugs reverse ovarian ageing in mice

27 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Gene implicated in motor neurone diseases discovered

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856