The Health Ministry issued an unusual statement Wednesday regarding a sperm donor who carried a rare genetic mutation that increases the risk of cancer among offspring.
The ministry urged offspring in their forties and fifties who were born from sperm donations in private clinics in the central region to go directly to one of the genetic institutes across the country for testing as soon as possible.
The case began several months ago when the family of a deceased sperm donor informed the Health Ministry that he had Lynch syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of developing various cancers, including colon, uterus, stomach, ovaries, and other organs.
The deceased had donated sperm at private fertility clinics in central Israel between 1974 and 1985, before regulated sperm banks were established.
It’s unknown how many children were born from his donations, but the Health Ministry estimates it could be dozens, or even over a hundred. The offspring themselves do not know who the sperm donor is, but it is known that he donated only at private clinics in the central region.
The Health Ministry called on women and families who received sperm donations during those years in private clinics in the central region to inform their offspring and recommend that they contact one of the 10 genetic institutes across the country directly to check for the mutation.
No referral from a doctor is needed, and one can approach directly. The test is not covered by insurance and costs 633 shekels. Those who are found to be carriers will be eligible for full medical treatment, including early detection tests.
Prof. Talia Eldar-Geva, head of the Fertility and Reproduction Department at the Health Ministry, said: “We are aware of the complexity of the situation, especially given that some families who received sperm donations 40-50 years ago may have hidden the fact from their offspring, and may now decide to reveal the ‘secret’ only because of this incident. But since detecting the carrier status and then performing all the early detection tests can lead to early diagnosis, early treatment, reduced risk of illness, and sometimes even save lives — the Health Ministry feels obligated to address this case.”
The Israeli case joins a series of troubling incidents reported in recent years in Europe and the United States, where sperm donors carried rare genetic mutations that were passed on to their offspring, sometimes without them ever knowing.
For example, at the recent European Genetics Conference in Milan, a case was presented of a sperm donor from Europe found to be a carrier of Li-Fraumeni syndrome — a very serious genetic condition that causes a high risk of early-onset cancers, including leukemia, breast cancer, and brain cancer. That donor fathered at least 67 children in eight different countries, ten of whom have already been diagnosed with cancer.
The mutation in that case affects the TP53 gene, known as the “guardian of the genome” due to its role in repairing DNA damage. At the time of donation in the early 2000s, the mutation was not yet recognized as a clear risk factor. But today, with advances in genetic testing, it has been identified as a particularly dangerous mutation, and the lab in France that received the samples determined unequivocally that it is cancer-causing.
As a result, all the offspring were referred for genetic testing and regular medical supervision. Ten of them have already been diagnosed with cancer, and 23 others were found to be carriers of the mutation. Medical recommendations include regular MRI scans, breast and abdominal checks, and sometimes even periodic blood tests.