Marijuana use tied to testicular cancer in young men, cocaine use linked to risk reduction

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(CBS News) Marijuana smoking may lead some men to develop especially serious types of testicular cancer, a new study finds.

The study - published online September 10 in the American Cancer Society's journal, Cancer - suggests that not only recreational pot-use but medicinal marijuana-smoking may be risky for young males.

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Researchers from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles surveyed 163 young men diagnosed with testicular cancer on their past drug use and compared that data to self-reported histories from 292 healthy men of the same age and ethnicities.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men between 15 and 34, according to the Mayo Clinic, despite being considered rare compared to other types of cancer. There are two main types of testicular cancer: nonseminomas, which are thought to be more aggressive, develop earlier and grow and spread more rapidly and seminomas, which aren't as aggressive and respond better to radiation treatments.

The USC researchers found that men who had a history of smoking pot were more than twice as likely to have nonseminoma testicular cancer or another subtype called mixed germ cell tumors, which like nonseminomas, are linked to a worse prognosis.

"The group that is at risk for developing these tumors is overwhelmingly young men," study author Dr. Victoria Cortessis, assistant professor of preventive medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine, told NBCNews.com.

The researchers weren't certain what explained this effect, but speculate marijuana may act on the body's cellular network that responds to marijuana, the endocannabinoid system, that is tied to the sperm production.

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Cocaine use on the other hand was tied to a reduced risk of these types of testicular cancer, leading researchers to conclude that cocaine may destroy sperm-producing sperm cells tied to cancer growth. But the researchers certainly don't recommend that men start using cocaine to reduce their testicular cancer risk.

"If this is correct, then 'prevention' would come at a high price," Cortessis said in a press release, adding that cocaine use could damage fertility.

Dr. Donald Abrams, professor of clinical medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, was not convinced of  marijuana's link to testicular cancer, telling HealthDay that if true, there should have been spikes in the disease among California males during the 1960s and 70s but there were no such reported rate increases.

"If there were a true cause-and-effect relationship, one would see blips in testicular cancer rates associated with greater use of cannabis," he said.

[Anon1d]

Wow, I really can't believe this was published on a major news website. This has to be one of the worst studies I've ever seen, and cbs is publishing it as fact. First of all, the study only had like 500 people in it, WAY too few for a medical study. There was also no changing variable, just a survey about past drug habits. Shame on you CBS, and shame on anyone that read this without finding it ridiculous.

[7inchesofDOOM]

This is totally absurd. Marijuana fights against cancer, it doesn't cause it. It's the properties of smoke that cause cancer. Combusted marijuana smoke is only 12% cannabinoids. Vapourized marijuana is 95% cannabinoids. Cannabinoids fight off cancer. So cannabis does not cause cancer, smoke does.

[mgmgmgmgmg]

Okay so basically the found people who had gotten cancer, and they looked at the fact that some smoked pot and some didn't. Fair enough, but they don't talk about any other lifestyle choices of these men. Maybe the pot smokers also sat under the sun with aluminum foil over them, while smoking cigarettes and not wearing sunscreen. That's a good way to get cancer, and has to do more with them being stupid than the marijuana. Just because they happened to smoke weed doesn't mean that caused it. I bet they all drink water too, so, is drinking water tied to cancer, since %100 of all cancer patients have a history of drinking water? Meanwhile actual studies, from top universities such as John Hopkins, have shown cancer tumor cells not only having their growth stopped, but to actually recede (or, get healed) when THC was introduced to them, the scientists actually watched it happen. And countless reports of people who took types of marijuana products and ended up being cancer free within a year. Funny how snoop dogg, bob marley, cheech and chong, probably have smoked weed for most of their lives, and they are cancer free. Bob marley died from complications not related to marijuana use at all. If anyone was going to get cancer from weed, surely one of these men would have by now (the ones I listed still alive are in their 40's,50's and beyond, and have been famous for smoking pot for 20-30 years, meaning they likely smoked longer than that). So just because you find that people who got a disease happened to smoke weed, doesn't mean that's the cause, you have to look at ALL the factors of their lifestyle and genetic disposition, and figure out what actually caused the cancer.

[Tha_Sr4d]

New study finds that air outside your house is horrible for you and causes anal bleeding, heart failure, erection problems, and even cancer!!! Really, honestly, the study was just completed after 20 years, promise!

Now that we *********** each other for a sec, I'm going to go smoke some pot.

[claygooding]

IF marijuana caused testicular cancer,,,where are all the eunuchs?

Smoked since 1968 and I have never met anyone with testicular cancer or even really heard much about it,,except in "reefer madness" claims.

Two alarms go off,,source of the study,,they claim that marijuana is a more dangerous drug than tobacco,,one of the deadliest drugs in our society that kills hundreds of thousands yearly while marijuana has never caused death in recorded history,,except by police,

The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the study,,,which has spent billions in harm research since it's creation trying to find the harm in marijuana and ignores any medical applications the studies they fund discover in the process.

[erasmus111]

Maybe it's what is in the marijuana NOW??

[technasty]

i bet the ATF or BIG ALCOHOL CORPS are behind this, they want everything to stay just how it is, because the more cannabis use increases, alcohol sales decrease

[Gulfshoresman]

What a crock! What's next apple pie causes lower IQ? This type of survey study does nothing more than promote propaganda for the anti drug factions working day and night in America. The fact is that pot is here to stay, no matter what any three letter government agency says about it! The people of America are standing up and will eventually win at the polls, because the war of fear raged by our government is a losing effort. Does America really need these government agencies? I'd prefer to support those that go after the thieves that continue to steal our money on Wall Street. What about those crooks?

[kevin_hunt]

" Risk was decreased for more frequent users, nonsignificant for those who used for over ten years or continued to use, and more than doubled for those who used to smoke, but no longer do. "

So the moral of the story is that you need to use marijuana for over 10 years and continue to use it to avoid the risk? I'm sure some of my older friends are going to be relieved to hear that!

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/09/study-marijuana-use-doubles-risk-of-testicular-cancer/262178/

[Rodeo_Joe]

Vs. the human Road-kill toll from Alcohol every day?
Lame, DEA, real lame.

[pleaseletitbeso]

Same garbage I remember going around 30 some years ago, just recycling the same nonsense hopeing that no one will remember.