The Ministry of Health is calling on individuals conceived through sperm donations from 1974 to 1985 to pursue genetic testing for a mutation linked to elevated risks of colon cancer, endometrial cancer, and other malignancies. This follows the discovery that a deceased sperm donor carried Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that significantly increases the likelihood of developing cancer.
The donor contributed sperm to multiple private clinics in central Israel, which have since closed, during the 1970s and 1980s. These clinics, located outside Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv, served an estimated 100 offspring, now aged 40 to 51. These individuals face a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation, a risk that extends to their children.
Carriers of Lynch syndrome face substantial health risks: about 70–80% will develop colon cancer during their lifetime, 50–70% of female carriers will develop endometrial cancer, and roughly 12% of female carriers will develop ovarian cancer. Additional risks include rare cancers of the stomach, urinary tract, breast, gallbladder, pancreas, and brain.
Testing for the mutation is offered at ten laboratories or via the Ministry of Health's website for 633 shekels (about $170). The test is not included in the subsidized national health basket, and funding constraints prevent universal coverage due to potential strain on genetic facilities. However, carriers identified through testing can access follow-up care, including regular colonoscopies, gynecological exams, and, in some cases, preventive surgeries, all covered by the health basket.
The donations took place in an era before in-vitro fertilization or sperm banks, relying on fresh sperm and minimal oversight in private clinics. Most recipients were heterosexual couples dealing with male infertility.
"This is a complex issue. Some families may have kept sperm donation a secret and might now reveal it to their children," said Professor Talia Eldar Geva, head of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Genetics Department at the Ministry of Health. "While this may open a Pandora's box, early detection and intervention can significantly reduce illness and mortality, making it our responsibility to address this."
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, Head of the General Medicine Division at the Ministry of Health, underscored the life-saving potential of early detection. "With a 50% chance of carrying the mutation, and the risk of passing it to the next generation, early diagnosis is vital, especially as a second generation is already affected," she said.
The Ministry delayed publicizing the case to ensure practical testing solutions were in place, avoiding unnecessary alarm. Health funds, fertility experts, and geneticists have been notified, and testing is accessible without a referral.
A parallel case in Europe recently revealed a sperm donor with a different cancer-related mutation, affecting at least 67 children, ten of whom have been diagnosed with cancer.
