The statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have put deaths from prostate cancer at approximately 30,000 deaths yearly, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States.  The leading cause of cancer deaths among men is lung cancer.  Prostate cancer is generally acknowledged to be a hormone related cancer, but its actual causes remain to be identified, therefore studies can only advance theories.

The two most recent studies into any relationship between masturbation and the incidence of prostate cancer, approached in different ways, appear to have reached conflicting conclusions, but advance similar theories in part.  The first study concluded that any activity that causes ejaculation, including masturbation, reduces the risk of prostate cancer, and the more frequent the occurrences between the ages of 20 and 50, the lower the likelihood of prostate cancer development. The latest study reached the conclusion that frequent masturbation may cause opposite effects based upon the age of the men concerned.  They concluded that frequent masturbation by young men in their 20’s was linked to an increased risk of early prostate cancer, but that frequent masturbation by men in their 50s or older may actually provide protection against the development of prostate cancer.  Sexual intercourse may not have the same protective effect due to the possibility of contracting STDs

In order to understand these theories, it is necessary to look at the function of the prostate gland itself, which produces and controls the flow of fluid.  The prostate gland secretes a fluid which has the purpose of activating sperm, preserving their motility, forming a protective environment for them.  Prostate secretions have been shown to be rich in various substances, including calcium, zinc, citric acid, acid phosphatase, albumin, and prostatic specific antigen (PSA), which helps to keep the semen in its liquid form.

However, further studies undertaken using animals, have demonstrated that numerous carcinogens such as those found in cigarette smoke may also be found in the fluid. The conclusion has been drawn that such carcinogens may also be present in fluid present in human males. Both studies have speculated that masturbatory activity may be essential to prevent a buildup of toxins in the prostate potentially harmful to the cells, and that frequent ejaculation may assist in flushing out harmful substances from the  ducts of the prostate gland therefore preventing buildup of toxins which may damage the cells lining them.

Both studies emphasize that further research is needed into the area and the relationship between hormone levels and sexual activity