LONDON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Genetics are responsible for about half the risk of men developing testicular cancer, with most genetic variants that increase risk yet to be identified, according to new research.
Researchers said identifying the risk factors that aren't environmental or behavioral may help identify more patients earlier, or possibly prevent the disease.
"Our study has shown that testicular cancer is a strongly heritable disease," said Dr. Clare Turnbull, a senior researcher at the Institute of Cancer Research, in a press release. "Our findings have important implications in that they show that if we can discover these genetic causes, screening of men with a family history of testicular cancer could help to diagnose those at greatest risk, and help them to manage that risk."
Using the Swedish Population Registry, researchers analyzed patterns of ancestral testicular cancer among 15.7 million people, 9,324 of whom had testicular cancer. They compared this data with the genetic codes of 6,000 men in the United Kingdom from two testicular cancer studies, 986 of whom had testicular cancer.
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The research showed about 49 percent of the risk factors for testicular cancer are based on inherited genetics. Genetic factors generally cause about 20 percent of risk for cancers.
Rather than a gene mutation or two being the culprit, researchers said the risks come from minor variations in DNA. About 9.1 percent of these have been identified, meaning more than 90 percent of the genetic variations that can contribute to the cancer have not been found yet.
"Much work remains to be done," Turnbull said. "There are a lot of genetic factors that cause testicular cancer which we are yet to find -- so the first step must be to identify the genetic drivers of testicular cancer so we can develop new ways to prevent it."
The study is published in Scientific Reports.
