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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A first of its kind study on marijuana reveals the drug may significantly increase a man's chance of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer.
Over the past four to six decades, the incidence of testicular cancer has risen, but it has not been known why. The use of marijuana also increased during this period. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Research center in Seattle say the drug may be to blame. They found men with testicular cancer were more likely to smoke marijuana. Being a marijuana smoker at the time of diagnosis was associated with a 70 percent increased risk of the disease The risk was also elevated for patients who used marijuana at least weekly and/or who had long term exposure to the drug starting in adolescence. The researchers stress their results are not definitive, but rather raise new questions that call for more research.
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"What young men should know is that first, we know very little about the long term health consequences of marijuana smoking, especially heavy use; and second, our study provides more evidence that testicular cancer could be one adverse consequence," study author, Stephen M. Schwartz, M.P.H, Ph.D., was quoted as saying. "So, in the absence of more certain information, a decision to smoke marijuana recreationally means that one is taking a chance on one's future health."
SOURCE: Cancer, published online February 9, 2009
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