The effects of lifestyle upon the risk of cancer are a fact no longer in question. Indeed, ensuring a healthy lifestyle is the chief method of preventing cancer, and lies within our control. While other environmental factors can be variable, the choices about what foods and chemicals we put in our body can be defining for our later course of health, as well as our sense of wellbeing in the present. The use of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine are the common topics of health warnings, but less is said about the use of illicit drugs, most particularly, marijuana.
Marijuana remains a controversial issue in health, especially because of its increasing profile as a pain reliever now accepted for medicinal use in several parts of the world. Marijuana is not usually thought to have anywhere near the carcinogen content of tobacco, but this assumption is cast into doubt by recent US research on the topic. A study into the causes of testicular cancer held at the University of Southern California found that men who have marijuana use in their history have twice the risk of testicular germ cell tumours.
The research team analysed the anecdotal evidence of 163 testicular cancer sufferers, and 292 healthy men. They found that marijuana users had twice the risk of developing testicular cancer compared to men who had never touched the drug. This risk was associated with the non-seminoma, or mixed germ cell tumours, type of the disease – unfortunately the variety with the worst prognosis. The study’s other interesting finding related to the use of cocaine. You will be surprised to learn that current or previous cocaine users actually benefited from a 46% reduced risk of developing the disease! Though this is a novel finding, it stands little risk of becoming an incentive for cocaine use; after all, the harm you do to your wellness by using this drug should put any thinking person off the idea!
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