NIH Releases Information on Testicular Cancer Discovery

"AMP Pathway" Gene Offers Possible Treatment

Gary Davis
Extremely important news has just been issued this morning, June 29, from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) with respect to testicular cancer. There have been a number of studies going on with familial genes related to testicular cancer.

Robert Bock has released through NIH News an article titled "Second Gene Linked to Familial Testicular Cancer."

It is a breakthrough because so far scientists have only been able to identify one gene and this is only the first gene identified in a biomedical pathway.

Historically scientists have hunched that there have been a number of weaker genes with individual effects that have worked together to cause testicular cancer. This is a major finding.

What this finding says is there is a very strong gene with a singular effect.

The information that has been available is that there has been a three to six-fold increase in men who have gotten testicular cancer when it was already in the family. Still this only accounts for about five percent of testicular cancers. However, the study of this particular line has yielded great benefits.

The key pathway with respect to testicular cancer is the AMP pathway and the great news is that there are a number of drugs available that affect the cyclic AMP pathway. This is good news.

The research program involved 95 men who did not have any of seven mutated genes which gave the researchers great confidence in the research because the seven did show up at a higher rate than other people. We are speaking here of those men with the gene that is related to testicular cancer.

It is expected that in 2009 there will be estimated 8,400 new cases of testicular cancer. Of these testicular cancer cases about 90 percent will be germ-cell which is the type we are talking about.

Testicular cancer is not considered by some people as being grave because the death rates aren't necessarily that high. In fact in 2009 only 380 men will die or about 1 in 5,000. However, it must be remembered that this cancer hits in the reproductive system, so it is not just a physical problem but an emotional problem as well.

This report was good news!

References:

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2009/nichd-29.htm

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_testicular_cancer_41.asp

Published by Gary Davis

Retired Insurance CEO. Trained in medicine and medicines. Trained in mental health particularly manic depression as well as most illnesses (from medical underwriting. Business owner, business, marketing,...   View profile

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