Men with relatively long ring fingers may be more likely to develop prostate cancer, according to a new study.
New research shows they are up to 10 per cent more likely to suffer from the condition, which is diagnosed in around 55,000 men in the UK each year.
Men with longer ring fingers relative to their index fingers were also 15 percent more likely to develop aggressive cancer, according to the study published in Cancer Epidemiology.
Exposure to higher levels of testosterone in the womb is thought to be responsible for both the finger ratio and the increased risk of cancer.
Researchers say the ratio between the index finger and the ring finger (the so-called 2D-4D ratio) could become a marker of disease risk.
Men with relatively long ring fingers may be more likely to develop prostate cancer, according to a new study
Men with longer ring fingers relative to their index fingers were also 15 percent more likely to suffer from aggressive cancer, according to the study published in Cancer Epidemiology.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer, with more than 52,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths each year.
The University of Quebec academics said: “Our results suggest that high levels of testosterone in the womb may increase the risk of prostate cancer, especially for aggressive cancers.”
‘The 2D:4D ratio may prove to be an easily measurable marker of prostate cancer risk.’
The study involved around 4,000 men, half of whom had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and their finger proportions were measured.
The ratio, calculated by dividing the length of the index finger by the length of the ring finger, is thought to indicate exposure to sex hormones in the womb.
