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Marijunana testicular cancer link (BBC News)

Started by mensfe_admin, 2009-03-03 09:21

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mensfe_admin

The study from scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer research Centre in Seattle is the first to look specifically at marijuana use to Testicular cancer.
They studied 369 man aged 18 to 44 who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and quizzed them about marijuana use.
Their replies were compared to those from almost 1000 apparently healthy control subjects.
Even after adjusting the figures to take account of the other known risk factors, marijuana use remained a clear risk factor for testicular cancer.
They claim that just being a marijuana smoker seemed to carry a 70% extra risk, "this study provides some evidence that testicular cancer
could be one adverse consequence".
The next step, they said, would be to look more closeley at cells in the testicles to see if any of them have receptors set to respond to cannabis chemicals.
Henry Scowcroft, from Cancer Research UK, said: "As the researchers themselves point out, this is the first inkling that there is any association between chronic marijuana use and testicular cancer.
"But the researchers only interviewed a relatively small number od men.
"So before we can reach any firm conclusion about whether this is a cause and effect relationship, rather than a stastical blip, the result needs to be replicated in a much larger study".