Men who take muscle-building supplements may be at
increased risk of testicular cancer, according to a
new study, which included researchers from Harvard
T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Those who used
the supplements, such as pills and powders with
creatine or androstenedione, were more likely to
develop testicular cancer than those who did not,
especially if they began using them before age 25,
took two or more supplements, or used the
supplements for three years or longer.
The study was published in the British Journal of
Cancer on March 30, 2015. It is the first analytical
epidemiological study of the possible link between
supplements and testicular cancer, the authors
wrote.
“Our study found that supplement use was related to
a higher risk of developing testicular cancer. These
results are important because there are few
identified modifiable risk factors for testicular
cancer,” said Russ Hauser, professor of
environmental health science at Harvard Chan and a
main collaborator of the research. Pat Morey,
project manager in the Department of Environmental
Health at Harvard Chan, was a co-author.
The study’s lead author is Ni Li of Yale University
and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Other
authors are Pat Morey of Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health; Theodore R. Holford, Yong Zhu, Yawei
Zhang, Bryan A. Bassig, Stan Honig, and Helen
Sayward of Yale; Chu Chen and Stephen Schwarz of the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Peter Boyle
of the International Prevention and Research
Institute in Lyon, France; Zhibin Hu and Hongbin
Shen of Nanjing Medical University; and Pable Gomery
of Massachusetts General Hospital.
See also
Teens and Steroids, A Dangerous Combo: Is Your Teen
Using Steroids? Know the Signs (2013-11-09)
http://www.mybestlife.com/health/News-2013-Nov/20131109-teens-and-Steroids.htm
For more information
British Journal of Cancer
Muscle-building supplement use and increased risk of
testicular germ cell cancer in men from Connecticut
and Massachusetts
http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v112/n7/full/bjc201526a.html
HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/
Brown University
http://www.brown.edu/
MDN |