Clinical Edge Journal Scan

Male infertility and breast cancer: Is there a link?


 

Key clinical point: Male-origin infertility was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer (BC) in men.

Major finding: Risk for BC was significantly higher in men diagnosed with infertility (odds ratio [OR] 2.03; P = .01), those diagnosed with infertility or low sperm count (OR 2.17; P = .004), and those who had not fathered any children (OR 1.50; P < .001).

Study details: Findings are from a case-control study including 1998 men diagnosed with in situ or invasive BC at <80 years of age and 1597 matched male controls.

Disclosures: This study was supported by Breast Cancer Now, formerly Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and the John Tridgell family. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Swerdlow AJ et al. Infertility and risk of breast cancer in men: a national case–control study in England and Wales. Breast Cancer Res. 2022;24:29 (May 17). Doi: 10.1186/s13058-022-01517-z

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