Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third. 

Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

Frequent sexual activity may reduce a man's risk of prostate cancer, according to a study in the  Journal of the American Medical Association - April 7.

The cancer risk in men who reported more than 20 monthly ejaculations was 33 percent less than that of other men, the Harvard University study showed. Elevated testosterone has been tied to both a high sex drive and prostate cancer, which had led scientists to propose a link between cancer and sexual activity.

More research may help determine how sex might be protecting some men from prostate cancer, the investigators said. The results shouldn't be used to encourage intensified sexual activity, defined as ejaculation from intercourse, masturbation or during sleep, they said.

"Men worry that by being very active, they may put themselves at increased risk,'' said Michael F. Leitzmann, the lead researcher now at the National Cancer Institute. ``Looking at the data in a little bit more detail, our findings suggest that ejaculation may even be associated with a slight decrease in prostate cancer risk.''

Researchers surveyed almost 30,000 health professionals, 1,449 of whom developed prostate cancer, and found an active sex life wasn't linked to a higher cancer risk in most men.

"There are several ways in which frequent ejaculations may protect against prostate cancer, the researchers said. The activity may flush out a buildup of toxins in the prostate, lessen development of tiny crystals linked to some cancers, and improve the immune system's response to cancer," Leitzmann said.

How It May Work

Ejaculation also may release psychological tension, quieting central nervous system activity that may contribute to prostate- cell division and cancer growth, the researchers said.

The scientists downplayed results showing frequent ejaculation appeared to reduce cancer risk because only 7 percent of men fell into the group reporting the most activity and just 59 of them developed prostate cancer, Leitzmann said in a telephone interview.

Almost all the previous research showed sexual activity increased cancer risk, he said. Those studies may have been biased because researchers asked patients to recall activities that occurred years earlier, before they were diagnosed with cancer and received treatment, which may interfere with sexual activity, he said.

"What we can say is that this hormonal hypothesis needs to be re-evaluated,'' said Leitzmann, who led the study when he was a post-doctoral student at Harvard. ``It would be good for future research to focus on different biological mechanisms.''

Source: Bloomberg, WebMD, LLC.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20063692-10391704.html

This is a follow up to natural causes blog

Steven Cash Nickerson
President and Founder
The David H. Nickerson Foundation
www.davidscure.org

Cheers,

Steven Cash Nickerson, President and Founder
The David H. Nickerson Foundation

The last time I had a checkup it was triggered by a symptom that could have indicated either a serious condition or something failry inconsequential. The results showed that I was fine -- in fact in pretty good shape for my age. That was about six years ago and I am now overdue for my next check-up.

I used the link at the bottom of the 'Foundation' page to check my disease risk for prostate cancer and found that it's below average.

So what's my point? It is that nobody should be lulled into a false sense of security by positive feedback and occurances. Your health is far too important and early detection is an advantage. Take the plunge. Especially if you are over 50.  According to the American Cancer Society getting screened helps find the disease in it's early stages but that still doesn't guarantee a complete cure and the treatments can cause other conditions.  But what's the alternative?

Make the the call, get the test  and then you can get on with your life until the same time next year.