Muscle-building supplements may be associated with testicular cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers have found that men who reported taking muscle-building supplements, such as powders and pills with androstenedione or creatine, had a significantly increased likelihood of developing testicular cancer compared with men who did not use those supplements.

For the study, researchers surveyed about 900 men from Connecticut and Massachusetts. Of those, 356 had been diagnosed with testicular germ cell cancer while 513 had not been diagnosed with testicular cancer. 

Participants were were asked about exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, family history of testicular cancer, supplement use, and prior injury to their groin or testicles.

Results showed that men who had used supplements had a 65% higher risk of developing testicular cancer than those who did not.

Those who used more than one kind of supplement had a 177% higher risk than those that did not use supplements, and participants that used supplements for at least 3 years had a 156% higher risk.

Researchers also found that men who started using supplements at or before age 25 had a 121% higher risk of developing testicular cancer.