Sperm from donor with cancer-causing gene was used to conceive almost 200 children

A sperm donor unknowingly carrying a genetic mutation that significantly increases cancer risk fathered at least 197 children across Europe over a 17-year period, starting in 2005. The sperm, sold by Denmark's European Sperm Bank, was used in multiple countries, including a small number of British families who received treatment in Denmark. The donor, who passed standard screening, carries the Li Fraumeni syndrome mutation in up to 20% of his sperm, giving offspring up to a 90% chance of developing cancer. While the donor and his family are healthy, children conceived with the affected sperm inherit the mutation in every cell, requiring lifelong cancer screening and potentially preventative surgeries. The European Sperm Bank acknowledged the situation and expressed sympathy for the affected families, stating that the mutation is not detectable through standard genetic screening.

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