New Genetic Link for Those at Risk of Testicular Cancer
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Scientists have reported the discovery of a new genetic link between individuals who are at greater risk of testicular cancer.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine conducted the trials, which examined the impact of genes including the c-KIT ligand and another known as sprouty 4.
Participants whose genetic code contained two copies of the common sprouty 4 gene were found to be at greater risk by around 1.48 times their counterparts with the less common versions of the genes.
Meanwhile, the impact of c-KIT was even greater, with the common versions of the ligand linked with a 4.5-fold increase in risk over the less common variations.
The University's research was inspired by the fact that testicular cancer is the most common form of the disease in younger men, hitting seven out of every 100,000 members of the white male population in the US each year.
In the non-Hispanic male Caucasian community as a whole, incidences have doubled over the past four decades.
But the researchers argue that identifying individuals who are at greater risk is the first step towards tackling the increasing prevalence of testicular cancer.
Testicular cancer is just one form of the disease currently undergoing study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, along with others including breast cancer and thyroid cancer.