Semen can worsen cervical cancer
Cervical and uterine cancers could be aggravated by a hormone-like molecule called prostaglandin that is found in semen, MRC research findings show. Prostaglandin is naturally produced by the cells that line the female reproductive organs – its usual role is to help regulate cell growth. However, it is also found in semen, at 1,000 times higher concentrations. A team of scientists led by Dr Henry Jabbour at the Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in Edinburgh discovered that semen prostaglandin can influence the progression of cervical and uterine cancers by enhancing tumour growth. Dr Jabbour said: “This research highlights the potential for a new therapeutic approach that will inhibit the action of both sources of prostaglandin – those produced naturally by women and those introduced to the body by semen.”
Endocrinology 2006; 147: 3356-3365