Sexual Behavior and Prostate Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Hayes R B, Pottern L M, Strickler H, Rabkin C, Pope V, Swanson G M, Greenberg R S, Schoenberg J B, Liff J, Schwartz A G, Hoover R N, Fraumeni J F Jr
Primary Institution: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute
Hypothesis
Does a history of sexually transmitted diseases increase the risk of prostate cancer?
Conclusion
Men with a history of gonorrhea or syphilis have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- Men with a history of gonorrhea had an odds ratio of 1.6 for prostate cancer.
- Men with serological evidence of syphilis had an odds ratio of 1.8 for prostate cancer.
- The risk increased with the number of gonorrhea occurrences, reaching an odds ratio of 3.3 for three or more events.
Takeaway
If men have had certain sexually transmitted diseases, like gonorrhea or syphilis, they might be more likely to get prostate cancer.
Methodology
A population-based case-control study with in-person interviews and serologic studies.
Participant Demographics
981 men with prostate cancer (479 black, 502 white) and 1315 controls (594 black, 721 white).
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0005
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.2–2.1 for gonorrhea; 95% CI 1.0–3.5 for syphilis.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website