Prostate Cancer and Testicular Cancer: Is There a Hidden Link?

Prostate cancer and testicular cancer are health risks for all men. The diseases affect different parts of the body and have different risk factors.

Both cancers are highly treatable and rarely fatal as long as the cancers are detected early and have not spread to other parts of the body, said the Mayo Clinic.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, there is now research confirming a link between prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

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A groundbreaking study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine was presented by Dr. Mohummad Minhaj Siddiqui at a symposium in 2015 that studied data from more than 32,000 men with a history of testicular cancer. The researchers found that men who had testicular cancer earlier in life had a significantly greater chance of developing prostate cancer by the time they reach 80 years of age.

In addition, testicular cancer survivors had almost five times the risk of developing more aggressive prostate cancers that were either intermediate or high-risk, the ASCO reported.

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In his presentation, Siddiqui explained that he believed further research was still needed about the link between prostate cancer and testicular cancer because this single study was not enough to help establish practical clinical recommendations for physicians.

He also stressed that in light of the study’s findings, the risk of developing intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer was still very low overall. Siddiqui said that 95 percent of men who survive testicular cancer will not get this aggressive prostate cancer later in life.

Siddiqui said that, based on these findings, “men with a history of testicular cancer should consider a discussion regarding the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening with their physicians.”

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