A genetic variant that increases the risk of testicular cancer may be favored by evolution because it helps protect those with fair skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays, according to a new study. The finding could account for white men being more susceptible than black men to this type of cancer. It may also explain why testicular cancer is so readily treatable.
Gareth Bond, a molecular biologist at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Oxford, U.K., and colleagues hit upon the unexpected tradeoff while studying inherited genes that influence cancer risk.
Read the full, original story here: Testicular Cancer May Be the Price Paid for Sun Protection