Men with this reproductive issue are 500% more likely to be genetically predisposed to cancer

This is not the fear of your father’s cancer.

Studies have previously linked low sperm count to an increased risk of cancer, but new research take it a step further.

Researchers at the University of Tartu in Estonia found that men with a more general reproductive issue are also much more likely to have genetic variants for cancer.

Warning signs? Infertility.

In men, infertility is determined as not to be able to impregnate a woman after a year to have unprotected sex regularly. Causes can range from insufficient or low quality sperm, area damage, blockages and genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

Approximately 1 in 10 men have a kind of fertility issue in the Global level, sperm counts have dropped up to 50% in the last 50 years.

Previous studies have shown that men with lower sperm number face an increased risk of developing cancer during their lives.

Moreover, infertile men and their relatives have been observed to have a higher risk of cancer, suggesting possible genetic support.

The new study, published in the journal Human Reproduction Open, attempts to explore this potential genetic predisposition by analyzing the data of 500 men with unexplained fertility problems.

Their findings were wonderful: infertile men had five times more risk of hereditary cancer than men who were fertile.

“We discovered that among the infertile men, every 15th of the infertile wore a predisposing genetic variant, compared to one in 64 fertile men,” said the main author Anu Valkna, the chairman of human genetics at the University of Tartu in Estonia.

“This can explain why infertile men have a higher risk of cancer – they already have a genetic predisposition that makes the body more susceptible to cancer.”

Researchers also found a link between a family history of cancer and the development of the disease.

“This supports the hypothesis that there is a predisposition to these families,” Valkna added.

The implications of these findings are important, as mentioned “Seek medical care for infertility at a younger age, usually before progressing and diagnosing cancer,” Valkna said.

“Therefore, early identification of predisposed patients would provide effective monitoring and early intervention.”

“Moreover, as some cancer inheritance syndromes tend to disproportionately influence female family members, additional identification of family members at risk would provide added clinical value to these families,” she added.