Only in late 2023, after another child was diagnosed, did fresh testing reveal the mutation. By then, the donor’s sperm had been distributed for nearly 17 years, reaching 67 clinics in 14 countries, AFP reported.
What does ‘at risk’ mean for these children?
What is the TP53 mutation?
It damages a gene that normally prevents cells from turning cancerous.
What condition does it cause?
Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which carries up to a 90% lifetime cancer risk.
What does this mean for affected children?
High risk of childhood cancers
-
Higher lifetime risk of bone, blood, brain and soft-tissue cancers
-
Requires annual whole-body MRIs and scans
-
Girls face extreme risk of breast cancer in adolescence/adulthood
-
Some may develop more than one cancer in their lifetime
-
Are all the donor’s children affected?
-
No. Only the children conceived from sperm cells carrying the mutation — but the number is still unknown.
Children have already developed cancer, some have died
The BBC, part of a 14-country investigative network, reported that among the known cases: