Prostate cancer, new research raises: "Caused by a sexual infection"

A collaborative study between the University of California and University of Sassari raises the hypothesis: the tumor would be triggered by trichomoniasis, a disease that causes inflammation and heartburn, and that is often not diagnosed or treated.

Prostate cancer researchers

ROME - The prostate cancer may be triggered by a sexually transmitted disease caused by a common and silent infection that is transmitted with relationships. Triggering the disease in question , as already realized in some recent studies , it would be trichomoniasis , which often remains silent or left untreated . And 'This is the theory on which they are working some researchers at the University of California along with fellow Italian Pier Luigi Fiori, Daniele Dessi , Paola and Anna Rita Coconut Rappelli University of Sassari , who published their study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ) .

275 million people affected. Scientists have carried out laboratory tests on human cells of the prostate and have discovered that trichomoniasis helps the cancer to grow. According to some estimates , trichomoniasis affects approximately 275 million people worldwide and is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection . Sufferers often have no symptoms and do not know they have it. Generally , in fact, men who suffer from it may have irritation in the penis , or burning after urination or ejaculation or even losses. Women, however , may have some cramping the genitals, urinating problems or leaks.

The previous research. This is not the first study to suggest a link between this infection and prostate cancer . Already in 2009 a new research , published in the same journal always had in fact detected signs of infection in a quarter of men . But now research confirms this and suggests how this infection makes humans more vulnerable to prostate cancer. The parasite that causes trichomoniasis , Trichomonas vaginalis , it releases a protein that causes inflammation , and increases  the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate.

More research is needed . The results of this research, however, are not definitive. Now serve other research to corroborate this hypothesis and to also enter the list of prostate cancer tumors (one sixth of the total) infections caused by seemingly minor and in most cases curable.