Vasectomy -- No Cancer Link

Cancer researchers say they find no link between having a vasectomy and prostate cancer. The findings from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle dispel myths linking the birth control method with cancer.

Lead researcher Dr. Janet Stanford says the results should reassure physicians performing vasectomies and couples selecting it for contraception. She says vasectomy costs less than tubal ligation, the surgical-contraceptive counterpart for women, and has fewer side effects.

The five-year study includes 1,456 men ages 40 to 64 and finds no unusual prostate cancer statistics. The study also looks at the use of dietary supplements.

It suggests that zinc, vitamin C or vitamin E might significantly reduce the risk of getting the disease.