Overview

• A sperm donor carrying a rare mutation linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome fathered at least 67 children in eight European countries between 2008 and 2015.
• Ten of these children have been diagnosed with cancers such as leukemia and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while 23 have tested positive for the mutation.
• The mutation, undetectable by standard screening methods at the time of donation in 2008, significantly increases cancer risk in those who inherit it.
• Experts are advocating for a Europe-wide limit on the number of families or children per donor to prevent similar cases in the future.
• The European Sperm Bank has acknowledged the case and implemented its own limit of 75 families per donor, while expressing support for stricter international regulations.