Sperm Donor Linked to Rare Cancer-Causing Mutation
A sperm donor who has helped conceive at least 67 children across Europe has been found to carry a rare mutation associated with cancer. Out of these children, ten have developed the disease.
In total, 23 children conceived between 2008 and 2015 in eight different countries carry this variant. Some have been diagnosed with cancers such as leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
This situation has highlighted concerns about the absence of internationally set limits on how many times a single sperm donor can be used, as well as the difficulty in tracing multiple families to inform them about serious medical issues.
The case came to light when two families contacted their fertility clinics due to their children’s cancer diagnoses linked to a genetic variant known as TP53. An analysis conducted by the European Sperm Bank, which provided the sperm, confirmed the presence of this variant, although it wasn’t identified as cancer-related at the time of donation in 2008.
Dr. Edwige Kasper, a biologist at Rouen University Hospital in France, emphasized the need for a European limit on the number of births or families associated with a single donor. “We can’t do whole-genome sequencing for all sperm donors—I’m not suggesting that,” she said. “But this situation represents an abnormal spread of genetic disease. Not every man has 75 children across Europe.”
She stated that after analyzing the variant through various databases and functional trials, she concluded that it is likely cancer-causing, thus children from this donor should receive genetic counseling.
Those identified as having the gene are advised to undergo whole-body and brain MRI scans, as well as breast and abdominal ultrasounds as adults.
Julie Paulli Budtz, a representative for the European Sperm Bank, commented that they are deeply troubled by the situation. She noted that while the donor had been thoroughly tested, detecting disease-causing mutations is not always feasible if specific issues aren’t already known. Budtz also expressed support for establishing international limits and pointed out that their organization has proactively implemented a cap of 75 families per donor.
