Glad the article got to this point:
“In this study, 16 out of every 1,000 men developed lethal prostate cancer over 24 years of follow-up. Thus, the result that vasectomy was linked to a 20% raised risk of lethal prostate cancer, is relative to that 16 out of 1,000.”
You’re right. Basically, the risk of getting this is .016%! I.e., that’s about 0%!
I have reflux disease. With that I have about a .2% chance of cancer. If I progress to Barrett’s Esophagus, I go to about 5%. Much more - and frankly, most prostate cancer is minor, especially compared to esophageal cancer, which is “doom”. But even 5% is nothing to fibrillate over.
One of my uncles got it at about 75+. He died 6 years later, from other issues. Never treated aggressively, just seeds in the prostate. My dad, his brother, got it at about 70 (vasectomy), and was treated more aggressively with standard treatment, and has been clear for some years now (God willing will stay that way). Did very well with just radiation, although it was a pain to do.
>> is relative to that 16 out of 1,000.
I read that as being an affirmation of the previous sentence, not a dismissal suggesting an evidential insignificance of 1.6%.