A new study has revealed the connection between use of smoking marijuana and cancer aggravation. This study has shown that using marijuana in a long-term period ameliorates the risk of developing testicular cancer. The researches of the said study on the connection between use of smoking marijuana and cancer has stated that men who used marijuana even once a week or those who began using the drug while in their adolescence resulted to doubling the risk for aggressive testicular cancer. The nonseminoma type of testicular cancer has been determined to elucidate around forty percent of these cancer cases.
According to an epidemiologist and member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and co-author of the study, Janet Daling, the increase of the incidence of testicular cancer has been known in the United States and Europe for the last 40 years. At the same time, the incidence of marijuana use has risen. Thus, according to Daling, it seemed apt to assume the association between smoking marijuana and cancer. Furthermore, Daling claimed that as they analyzed the data on the study, they found out that no evident relationship exists between smoking marijuana and cancer, specifically testicular cancer.
According to the United States National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer accounts for just a percent of cancers particularly among men since this type is very rare. Nonetheless, testicular cancer has been the most common type of cancer among American men between the ages 15 and 34. The rate of testicular cancer has increased from 3% to 6% in the past half century in different countries including New Zealand, North America, Australia, and Europe. This increase has prompted some researchers in suggesting that the escalation might be associated with marijuana as its exposure and use among adolescents has increased.
As such, the researches has emphasized that the association between smoking marijuana and cancer could be evident in the testes as well as the spleen, brain, uterus, and heart. The testes organ consists of specific receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
In the past, some human and animal researches have demonstrated that the use of marijuana could lead to impotency, reduced hormonal production, and poorer semen quality in men. Consequently, Daling and the rest of her team has explored on the association between smoking marijuana and cancer through analyzing information collected by the Adult Testicular Cancer Lifestyle and Blood Specimen Study from 369 testicular cancer patients.
Based on the results from the participants between the ages of 18 and 44 diagnosed with testicular cancer and users of marijuana between 1999 and 2006, there is an association between smoking marijuana and cancer as a 70% increased risk was found in them. The nonseminoma risk was high particularly among participants who used marijuana at least once a week. It was also high among participants who started using the drug prior to reaching the age of 18. Daling has emphasized, however, that the results of their study are only preliminary although it should be given appropriate attention.
