Familial Link Between Testicular Cancer in Men and Ovarian Cancer in Female Relatives
Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Men with testicular cancer seem to be more likely to have a mother or a sister with ovarian cancer than men with other cancers, according to a new study conducted by a research team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, provides evidence of a hereditary association between ovarian and testicular cancers.
“Our research group has begun conducting follow-up studies aimed at better understanding this association, its genetic basis, and its potential impact on our understanding, prevention, and treatment of these diseases,” said senior study author Kirsten B. Moysich, MS, PhD.
The Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry, a database containing clinical information from more than 2,500 families with multiple cases of ovarian cancer, was used to identify the familial histories of 34 men with testicular cancer. Men with testicular cancer were more likely to have a mother (odds ratio = 3.32) or a sister (odds ratio = 1.66) with ovarian cancer than men with nontesticular cancers. A total of 4 of 16 maternal grandmothers (25%) of men with testicular cancer were diagnosed with ovarian cancer versus 0 of the 9 paternal grandmothers.
The authors concluded, “These analyses may provide insight into the etiology and transmission patterns of both cancers and expose novel gene targets for prevention and therapy.”
