Testicular Cancer Protection Revealed

Boys born to mothers who suffered from severe hypertension during pregnancy have a lower risk of suffering from testicular cancer, new research has revealed.

A doctoral student at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, Andreas Pettersson, suggested that protection offered may come as a result of the hormones that are released when the placenta malfunctions.

"Ironically, a malfunctioning placenta may lower the risk [of cancer]. One possible reason is that estrogens are lower in pregnancies that develop severe gestational hypertension or preeclampsia," said Mr Pettersson.

The research found that when women experienced such severe hypertension, male offspring were 71 per cent less likely to develop testicular cancer than the males born to women who did not suffer from hypertension.

However, Mr Pettersson added that the findings do not mean that women who do not suffer from hypertension will necessarily give birth to boys who are at higher than average risk of developing cancer.

Earlier this month, support for a new single jab that can treat early testicular cancer was given by experts in the sector.