Br J CancerBritish Journal of Cancer0007-09201532-1827Nature Publishing Group106826882363322669098610.1054/bjoc.1999.0986Regular ArticleSexual behaviour, STDs and risks for prostate cancerHayesR B1PotternL M2StricklerH1RabkinC1PopeV3SwansonG M4GreenbergR S5SchoenbergJ B6LiffJ5SchwartzA G4HooverR N1FraumeniJ FJr1Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, EPN 418, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USANational Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USACenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, MD, USAMichigan Cancer Foundation, Detroit, MI, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USANew Jersey State Department of Health, Trenton, NJ, USA

Present address: College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

Present address: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

Present address: MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

18012000022000823718725081219981304199928041999Copyright 2000, Cancer Research Campaign2000Cancer Research Campaign

A population-based case-control study was carried out among 981 men (479 black, 502 white) with pathologically confirmed prostate cancer and 1315 controls (594 black, 721 white). In-person interviews elicited information on sexual behaviour and other potential risk factors for prostate cancer. Blood was drawn for serologic studies in a subset of the cases (n = 276) and controls (n = 295). Prostate cancer risk was increased among men who reported a history of gonorrhoea or syphilis (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6; 95% confidence internal (CI) 1.2–2.1) or showed serological evidence of syphilis (MHA-TP) (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.0–3.5). Patterns of risk for gonorrhoea and syphilis were similar for blacks (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.2–2.2) and whites (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 0.8–3.2). Risks increased with increasing occurrences of gonorrhoea, rising to OR = 3.3 (95% CI 1.4–7.8) among subjects with three or more events (Ptrend= 0.0005). Frequent sexual encounters with prostitutes and failure to use condoms were also associated with increased risk. Syphilis, gonorrhoea, sex with prostitutes and unprotected sexual intercourse may be indicators of contact with a sexually transmissible factor that increases the risk of prostate cancer. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

epidemiologyprostatic neoplasmsracial aspectssexual behaviour