Thursday July 10, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new systemic review suggests that men who have contracted any sexually transmitted disease in lifetime would have to face an increased risk of prostate cancer.

The review based on data from 47 studies published between 1971 and 2011 found men who have ever gotten infected with any sexually transmitted disease in lifetime were at 49% increased risk of prostate cancer, compared with those who never contracted any sexually transmitted disease

An meta-analysis also found that infection with gonorrhoea was associated with 20% increased risk of prostate cancer.

Sexually transmitted diseases considered in the review analysis include "Neisseria gonorrheae, Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2, Human Herpes Virus 8 and Cytomegalovirus."

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly seen cancer and the sixth most dangerous cancer causing death in men worldwide.

In the United States, more than 230,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually and the disease and complications kill about 30,000 each year.

Comment: Men who have multiple sexual partners are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases than men whose wives are their only partners.  Although sexually transmitted diseases per se may or may not contribute to the risk of prostate cancer, high testosterone levels which are more likely found in men who have multiple partners are known to promote prostate cancer.

Reference: Saverio Cainia, Sara Gandinib, Maria Dudasc, Viviane Bremerd, Ettore Severie, Alin Gherasimf, Sexually transmitted infections and prostate cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Cancer Epidemiology, Available online 28 June 2014