Studies Show a Linkage Between Low Sperm Count and Testicular Cancer
Today, most infertile couples seek fertility clinics in order to achieve a pregnancy. With todays technologies, pregnancy can be achieved when the male's sperm count and quality are quite poor.
Technics for hyper ovulation, ova harvesting, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVFET) technics are done with a high success rate. Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) requires one sperm cell and ovum. It is not necessary to maximize the male sperm count to achieve pregnancy.
As a result, a full evaluation of the male partner has become less important and is often not done in fertility clinics. However, this change in the evaluation procedure for male factor
infertility can be dangerous to the male partner.
New studies have shown a highly significant association/correlation between male factor infertility and testicular cancer. Recent reports, cited by Reuters News Agency state the occurrence of testicular cancer in subfertile or infertile men is 20 times that for normally fertile men. Other studies show the rate of testicular cancer as high as 37 times that in normally fertile men.
In any case, this information suggests that there is a link between male factor infertility and testicular cancer. Dr. Marc Goldstein of New York Presbytarian/Weil Cornell Medical Center, writing in the Journal of Urology noted that there is evidence that infertility and testicular cancer have a common etiology (cause) in many cases beyond the well known risk associated with undescended testes. According to Dr Goldstein, "...even if he has enough sperm to achieve a pregnancy using assisted reproductive tehcnics [the infertile/subfertile male] should be seen by a urologist [for evaluation]. It is clear that evaluation for possible testicular cancer, even in the absence of a palpable mass (lump that can be felt) should be done on all infertile or subfertile men even if pregnancy has been achieved by one of the available technics. As in most cancers, early detection and treatment of testicular cancer is curative. Data cited for non-semenomatous germ-cell testicular cancers ( the most common) is in the mid to high 90% range. Delayed diagnosis will drop this remarkable cure rate significantly.
This potential desaster can be easily avoided. An examination of the scrotum, a simple blood test for two hormones, and an ultrasound scan by a competent urologist is all that is necessary.
Please call the office at (800) 886-6690 ext 11, for more information and to set up an appointment for this important evaluation.
