Index finger length may indicate cancer of the prostate risk

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops within the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The cancer grows at a slow pace, but can very easily spread to the bones and lymph nodes. Scientists mark diet and genetics as key culprits, and a new research in the British Journal of Cancer points to another possible genetic marker. It appears the size of a man’s index finger might be a signpost for a man’s possibility of creating cancer of the prostate.

Right index finger length relationships with cancer of the prostate

Index finger measurement makes a difference according to a research that had 1,524 prostate cancer patients with 3,044 healthy males 15 and older. A man ought to have his index finger be longer than the same hand’s ring finger. If this is the case, the possibility for cancer of the prostate can be less. The reverse indicated increased possibility, specifically a 33 percent greater chance. There were 23 percent that had longer index fingers and shorter were 57 percent. The rest had about the same size fingers. The index and ring were almost equal.

The findings of the study generally supported a similar previous study of 366 Korean men and their digit lengths. There will typically be less of a chance for cancer of the prostate to take place with men younger than 60 and 87.

Exposure to testosterone and estrogen

The amount of testosterone present is what scientists think the size coincides with. This is because the length is determined before the birth of a child. Too much testosterone will increase the chances of cancer of the prostate. It will even cause the ring finger to be longer than the index finger. The future chances of breast cancer in women are expected to correlate with the amount of estrogen present at birth for women.

While the index finger indicator could serve as a simple signpost for cancer, a significant number of scientists believe that the findings of the cancer of the prostate study are too simplistic. Other factors may very well be involved, and the methodology of the research has been questioned. There might be some error though thinking about the finger lengths was self reported by participants.

Information from

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703814804576035641517516376.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth

News coverage of prostate cancer study

youtube.com/watch?v=NyIzchk8_hY