Prostate cancer can be sexually transmitted, according to some scientists, who, nevertheless, note, that there is no scientific evidence for that.

Scientists from the University of California, checking prostate cells, concluded that a sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis, promotes the growth of cancer cells.

Their findings were published in the journal for the publication of original research in various areas of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), reports the BBC.

Scientists have discovered that the bacterium that causes trichomoniasis, also secretes a protein that promotes inflammation and development of both benign and cancerous cells in the prostate.

This is not the first study suggesting a link between trichomoniasis and prostate cancer. A study in 2009 showed that a quarter of men with prostate cancer had trichomoniasis.

''A new study suggests the possibility that the bacterium Trichomonas vaginalis promotes rapid growth and development of prostate cancer cells - explains Nicola Smith from Cancer Research UK. - However, this study was conducted only in the laboratory, and all the previous attempts to prove a link between trichomoniasis and prostate cancer have not been successful. "

Despite the fact that some types of cancer are caused by different kinds of infections, American scientists and their colleagues from the British Cancer Research UK stressed that more research is needed for adding the prostate cancer in the list of infectious diseases.