Genetic test reveals at-risk men for testicular cancer
pharmafile | June 14, 2017 | News story | Research and Development | ICR, Movember Foundation, testicular cancer
Research emerging from the Institute of Cancer Research has revealed the men most statistically at-risk of developing testicular cancer. The scientists discovered a further 19 genetic changes that were linked with the cancer, adding to the previously known 25 genetic markers.
It allowed the researchers to estimate that men who possessed all 44 markers had a 7% lifetime risk of developing testicular cancer. This placed the men at 14 times more likely to develop the cancer compared with the general population, which has an average risk of 0.5%.
The aim of the research would be to develop a test that was able to identify men most at risk of testicular cancer, allowing them to be monitored or potentially offered preventative treatment. In the future, it could also mean that drugs could be developed specifically to target the genetic markers found in the study.
Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “Large-scale genetics studies, such as this one, are a crucial part of our mission to defeat cancer. The more we understand about the genetics of cancer, the better we can pick out people at most risk before they develop the disease.
“As well as picking out men at highest risk of testicular cancer, our new study also looks at the biology of the disease – at what drives cells to become cancerous. This should narrow the search for therapeutic targets and help researchers create new treatments for those men who stop responding to platinum chemotherapy.”
Testicular cancer most commonly strikes young men between the ages 15 and 34 years; it is the most common form of cancer in young men, however, it is also one of the most treatable. The five-year survival rate for men with testicular cancer is 95% and, in men whose cancer has not spread beyond the testicles, this can rise to 99%.
The research was funded by the Movember Foundation and the hope is that the research can provide impetus for new targeted therapies for those who do not respond to treatment with platinum chemotherapy.
Ben Hargreaves
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