A new study published in the European Journal of Cancer reveals the presence of fetal cells in women raises the risk of colon cancer, according to a news release.
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, led the research, which found that while the detection of male microchimerism was associated with the increased risk of developing colon cancer, it is also associated with reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
"Fetal microchimerism may be highly relevant to later cancer development," said Vijayakrishna K. (V.K.) Gadi, MD, PhD, an assistant member of the clinical research division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and senior author of a study, in the release. "However, the study does not allow us to identify the underlying biological mechanisms."
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