Sperm Donor With Hidden Cancer Gene Fathered Nearly 200 Children Across Europe, Investigation Finds

A sperm donor who unknowingly carried a dangerous cancer-causing mutation fathered nearly 200 children across Europe, according to an investigation by 14 European public broadcasters, including BBC News.

Several children conceived with the donor’s sperm have already died of cancer, and geneticists say most who inherited the mutation face a high likelihood of developing cancer during their lifetimes.

The donor passed standard screening when he joined the European Sperm Bank as a student in 2005. His sperm was used for 17 years in multiple countries. Investigators found he carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which prevents cells from becoming cancerous. The mutation causes Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare disorder linked to a 90% lifetime cancer risk.

Up to 20% of the donor’s sperm contained the mutation, meaning any resulting children would carry the faulty gene in every cell.

The issue came to light when doctors treating children with cancers connected to sperm donation raised concerns at the European Society of Human Genetics conference earlier this year. At that time, 23 children with the mutation had been identified, and 10 had already developed cancer.

Freedom of Information requests later revealed at least 197 children were born using the donor’s sperm, though the exact number who inherited the mutation remains unknown.

“We have some children who have already developed two different cancers, and some have died very early,” said Edwige Kasper, a cancer geneticist at Rouen University Hospital in France.

The European Sperm Bank sold the sperm to 67 clinics in 14 countries, leading to widespread use. While individual nations have limits on how many families can use a single donor, there are no international limits, and some national rules were breached. In Belgium, where sperm from one donor may only be used by six families, 53 children were born to 38 women using sperm from the same donor.

A spokesperson told CBS News the bank does not ship to the United States due to U.S. regulations but does work with sperm banks in Canada and Mexico.

More affected children may be identified as investigations continue across Europe.

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