Study finds possible link between cannabis dependence and urologic cancers
UCI Health urologist pushes for more research to understand risks of widely used substance
IN THE NEWS: A new study led by UCI Health urologist Dr. Michael A. Daneshvar has found that adults who abuse or have a dependence on cannabis might have an increased risk of developing bladder, kidney or prostate cancer.
He spoke with Oncology Nurse Advisor and Renal + Urology News about the possible link.
“Given that cannabis is recognized as the most used illicit substance in the U.S., along with a rise in use worldwide, understanding the association between its use and the risk of urologic malignancies is of great importance.”
He also touched on his study’s findings, including a 4.2-fold increased risk of bladder cancer, a 3.7-fold risk of kidney cancer, and a 2.8-fold risk of prostate cancer, compared to adults who didn’t use cannabis.
“Cannabis smoke contains carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which is excreted in urine. Cannabinoid receptors are found in both the human urinary and reproductive tracts.”
“With cannabis use increasing, physicians should be aware of these results. Future studies should investigate a dose-dependent relationship and any possible oncogenicity of the many cannabinoids found within cannabis.”
Daneshvar is an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. He specializes in robot-assisted and open surgery for cancers of the bladder, kidney, penis, prostate, testes and ureter. His clinical interests also include enlarged prostate, elevated prostate-specific antigen levels, adrenal tumors and retroperitoneal cancer.
Daneshvar’s research interests include hereditary diseases and genomic alterations in genitourinary cancer, novel imaging techniques, focal therapy and ablation of prostate cancer. He is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications.
He sees patients at the UCI Health Center for Urological Care. Make an appointment by calling 714-456-7005.
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