Genetic discoveries give clues to protecting men from cancer

Good news for men at high risk of testicular cancer.

The Institute of Cancer Research has identified genes that could help men whose risk is more than 10 times higher than normal. This would mean earlier treatment.

They looked at 7,310 men with testicular cancer. By comparing them with 23,082 healthy men, they identified 19 genetic changes characteristic of the disease.

This means there are now 44 known markers.

Men with these changes had a 7% lifetime risk of testicular cancer compared with 0.5% for other men.

Clare Turnbull, senior author of the study published in the journal Nature Genetics, said: “Our study has . . . advanced our ability to use genetics to predict disease in healthy men.”

Paul Villanti of the Movember Foundation, which helped fund the research, said: “Testicular cancer typically strikes at young men in their prime and progress in this field promises huge benefits to these individuals.”

About 2,500 British men a year develop testicular cancer and 98% now survive for 10 years.