Study Says Circumcision Lowers Prostate Cancer Risk

Circumcision found to be associated with a Reduced Risk of developing Prostate Cancer

Many studies that were conducted in the past have shown that infectious pathogens may be playing a role in the development of prostate cancer. This has been found to be particularly true in case of sexually transmitted diseases which have often been considered to be a potent risk factor for prostate cancer later in life. It is also a known fact that circumcision before a man's first sexual intercourse is associated with a reduced risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, it had been hypothesized that circumcision may be effective in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.

 

In order to test this hypothesis, researchers from the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, led by Dr. Jonathan Wright, ambitiously examined 3,399 men. Out of this total sample, 1,754 of these men had prostate cancer whereas 1,645 of them did not have the disease. The men were interviewed about their history of circumcision, the age at which the circumcision was performed, the age at which they had their first sexual intercourse, and their personal history of developing any sexually transmitted disease.

Based on the information that was collected from the participants of the study, the researchers tried to find an association between circumcision and risk of developing prostate cancer. They noted that men who had been circumcised before their first sexual intercourse had a 15 percent reduced chance of developing prostate cancer compared to men who had not been circumcised, based on their sample. This held true for both aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancers. While the risk of developing non-aggressive cancer was down by 12 percent in circumcised men, the risk of developing the aggressive form of prostate cancer were reduced by an impressive 18 percent.

The results of the study clearly show that circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. As we know, however, correlation does not always equal causation. That is why confounding factors were taken into account as well, in this and other later studies. Circumcision was found to be protective against prostate cancer in the research, but the effect is milder than initially expected.

Risk of developing Prostate Cancer is lowered following Circumcision because of reduced chances of Infection

The researchers have opined that the risk of developing prostate cancer is lowered following circumcision because of reduced chances of infection and inflammation. Circumcision leads to the removal of the foreskin. The moist area under the foreskin is often the breeding ground of the infectious pathogens, especially in the absence of good hygiene. Moreover, circumcision thickens the inner foreskin which is otherwise prone to minor injuries during the time of sexual intercourse. It is through these injuries that infectious pathogens gain an entry into the bloodstream of the host.

According to the researchers who led this study, cancer is caused when infectious pathogens get incorporated into the DNA of the host cells, which then leads to mutations. Another line of thought is that infectious agents breeding in the moist area under the foreskin produce chronic inflammation of the region in men who were not circumsized. These inflammatory changes may provide an ideal environment for the development of cancer cells.
 
Studies done in the past have shown that circumcision reduces the chances of contracting HIV which may lead to AIDS if left untreated or poorly managed. Similarly, the possibility of getting infected with a specific herpes virus is also found to be reduced following circumcision. Studies have also shown that female sexual partners of circumcised men have a lower risk of contracting HPV infection, a precursor of cervical cancer, as well. Therefore, it appears logical that circumcision offers some degree of protection against prostate cancer.

However, the researchers have cautioned that their study only find an association between circumcision and prostate cancer, it does not prove any causality. Therefore, it does not advocate that all men should go for a circumcision, especially later in life when they may have already amassed some of the risk factors.