Loss of the Y-chromosome: A hidden catastrophe in male oncology

The role of chromosomal alterations in the onset and spread of cancer has drawn a lot of attention in the field of oncology in recent years.

- BIDISHA GHOSH

The loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) in male cancer cells is not merely alarming, but something very important to ponder upon.

New research indicates that the absence of this sex-determining chromosome is linked to increased tumour aggressiveness, higher relapse rates, and greater mortality.

Prominent geneticists and oncologists are horrified by this hitherto unnoticed occurrence, which brings the Y chromosome's potential importance to the forefront of male cancer physiology. The Y chromosome, found only in males, is often dismissed or devalued for having lower genetic variability compared to the X chromosome. However, its loss in somatic cells has proven to be an insistent occurrence in different cancers, like leukaemia, prostate carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer.