Vasectomy and prostate cancer risk
Use of the PLCO cancer screening trial provides several advantages over previous studies. The major criticism of other studies on the topic is confounding, largely in the form of detection bias. The presence of a dedicated screening arm, as well as detailed information on how prostate cancer was detected allows us to limit this bias. Furthermore detailed information on prostate cancer stage, grade, and clinical course allows us to examined the clinical significance of this relationship not possible with other trials The PLCO cancer screening trial would also provide one of the largest cohorts examining prostate cancer risk ad vasectomy in the literature.
Determining whether this relationship does indeed exist, and understanding the nuances of this relationship, will allow us to better counsel patients undergoing vasectomy and understand prostate cancer epidemiology and biology.
1. Determine if there is a relationship between vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer in the PLCO cancer screening trial
2. Examine this relationship as it relates to age of vasectomy, stage and grade of prostate cancer and comorbid conditions.
3. Limit confounding by examining this effect in the screening arm of the study.
-
Vasectomy and Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Screening Trial.
Shoag J, Savenkov O, Christos PJ, Mittal S, Halpern JA, Askin G, Shoag D, Golan R, Lee DJ, O'Malley P, Najari B, Eisner B, Hu JC, Scherr D, Schlegel P, Barbieri CE
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Nov; Volume 26 (Issue 11): Pages 1653-1659 PUBMED