Journal of Men’s Health (JOMH) is published by IMR Press from Volume 17 Issue 1 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Dougmar Publishing Group.
Male Infertility and Subsequent Risk of Cancer Development
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Infertility occurs in 15% of the population; and 30–50% of the time, the problem is due to a male factor. There is active research attempting to elucidate how male factor infertility fits into the picture of overall men’s health. Research in the past has established that a thorough male fertility evaluation can uncover various medical pathologies. There is now growing evidence that suggests male infertility is a potential harbinger for subsequent cancer development. In this review of pertinent articles, the current evidence regarding fertility and development of genitourinary and other cancers will be discussed, in particular, testicular and prostate cancer. In addition, various etiologic factors that explain the pathophysiology of infertility and progression to cancer will also be reviewed. It is possible that male factor infertility is a surrogate marker for subsequent cancer development.