Testicular cancer incidence and other male reproductive hazards are rising in many Western countries. Especially men from industrialized countries have had an increased risk of developing reproductive disorders, including poor semen quality and testicular cancer
Increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposures are involved in the development of undescended testis, hypospadias, infertility, and testis cancer in humans, which has led to the hypothesis of testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). The specific agents of environmental exposure are not yet identified, but epidemiological evidence combined with experimental data show that these environmental exposures in pregnant women and their fetuses may have long-lasting effects on the reproductive health of the offspring. Reasons like hormonal disrupting agents have been suggested as a significant reason for the rise in testicular cancer incidence, but lifestyle factors like maternal smoking have also been suggested.
Objectives
The project has two overall aims. The first is to shed light on the effects of mother´s smoking on male offspring´s risk of developing testicular cancer. The second is to investigate the link between testicular cancer and fertility.
The project will try to answer the questions:
- Does smoking during pregnancy influence the risk of developing testicular cancer in male offspring?
- What is the risk of testicular cancer among sons of mothers and fathers who developed lung cancer?
- What is the fertility before testicular cancer diagnosis?
- How does the fertility patterns for low-risk cohorts of testicular cancer men born during the second World War look like?
Data
The studies will be based on the Danish national registries: The Danish Cancer Registry, the Central Person Registry, the Danish Medical Birth Registry and the Fertility Database.
Funding
Johannes Clemmensen Research Foundation and Faculty Scholarship.
Supervisors
- Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen (main supervisor), EBB,/SDU
- Jacob Hjelmborg, EBB/SDU
- Mikael Thinggaard, EBB/ SDU
- Niels Erik Skakkebæk, University Hospital of Copenhagen
- Ariana Znaor, IARC