A study in the US has found that prostate cancer could be caused by a common infection passed on during intercourse, a leading English daily reported Tuesday.
A team of scientists at the University of California tested human prostate cells in a laboratory and found that a sexually transmitted non-viral infection called trichomoniasis supports cancer growth, The Independent reported.
Trichomoniasis is understood to have infected an estimated 275 million people around the world.
Infected men can experience pain during urination and thin white discharge from the penis. In women, the infection may trigger soreness and itching around the vagina and a change in discharge, although half of all men and women show no symptoms at all.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
This research follows a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2009, which found a quarter of men with prostate cancer showed signs of trichomoniasis and were more likely to have advanced tumours.
