Vasectomy not associated with prostate cancer risk, study shows

No association was seen between vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer, including associations between prostate cancer and age at vasectomy, according to recently published study results. In the early 1990s, a positive association between vasectomy and prostate cancer was reported, but subsequent studies did not confirm this relationship, although there were suggestions of an association in subgroups such as men who undergo vasectomy at a younger age or when several decades have passed...

No association was seen between vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer, including associations between prostate cancer and age at vasectomy, according to recently published study results.

In the early 1990s, a positive association between vasectomy and prostate cancer was reported, but subsequent studies did not confirm this relationship, although there were suggestions of an association in subgroups such as men who undergo vasectomy at a younger age or when several decades have passed since the procedure, the authors explained. These later studies, however, had limitations because of the short intervals between exposure and disease since vasectomy only became widely used in the 1960s and the generally long latency period of prostate cancer, they added.

To address this issue in more detail, the researchers conducted a population-based prostate cancer case-control study in 1,001 men who received a diagnosis of prostate cancer from Jan. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2005, in the Seattle-Puget Sound region and 942 matched controls.

The odds ratios (ORs), as an estimate of the relative risk of prostate cancer associated with various vasectomy parameters, were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Parameters examined included age at vasectomy, years since vasectomy, and vasectomy year.

Results show that the prevalence of vasectomy was similar in cases and controls (36.2% vs 36.1%; adjusted OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8-1.2). In addition, no associations were seen between prostate cancer and age at vasectomy, years elapsed since vasectomy, or calendar year of vasectomy.

No suggestion of effect modification by age, race, or family history or history of benign prostatic hyperplasia was seen either. Polytomous regression risk estimates also did not differ by clinical parameters such as Gleason score, serum prostate-specific antigen, and cancer stage.

"These findings indicate there is no association between vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer," the authors concluded. "In addition, we did not find evidence of increased risk of prostate in younger men who had undergone vasectomy or in men with extended periods of time since undergoing the procedure." (Holt S, et al. J Urol 2008;180:2565-2568.)