Viruses can help to cause some cancers. But this does not mean that these cancers can be caught like an infection. What happens is that the virus can cause genetic changes in cells that make them more likely to become cancerous.
These cancers and viruses are linked
- Cervical cancer, and other cancers of the genital and anal area, and the human papilloma virus (HPV)
- Primary liver cancer and the Hepatitis B and C viruses
- Lymphomas and the Epstein-Barr Virus
- T cell leukaemia in adults and the Human T cell leukaemia virus
- HPV also probably leads to oropharyngeal cancer and non melanoma skin cancers in some people
There will be people with primary liver cancer and with T cell leukaemia who haven't had the related virus. But infection increases their risk of getting that particular cancer. With cervical cancer, scientists now believe that everyone with an invasive cervical cancer has had an HPV infection beforehand.
Many people can be infected with a cancer causing virus, and never get cancer. The virus only causes cancer in certain situations. Many women get a high risk HPV infection, but never develop cervical cancer. Another example is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). These are some facts about EBV
- It is very common - most people are infected with EBV
- People who catch it late in life get glandular fever and have an increased risk of lymphoma
- In sub-Saharan Africa, EBV infection and repeated attacks of malaria together cause a cancer called Burkitt's lymphoma in children
- In China, EBV infection (together with other unknown factors) causes nasopharyngeal cancer
- In people with AIDs and transplant patients EBV can cause lymphoma
- About 4 out of 10 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma and a quarter of cases of Burkitt's lymphoma (a rare type of non Hodgkin's lymphoma) seem to be related to EBV infection.
So in your opinion cancer viruses are a common cause of cancer. Well not exactly according to "Cancer Research UK" for they say what happens is that the virus can cause genetic changes in cells that make them more likely to become cancerous.
These cancers and viruses are "linked" but not the "cause" of cancer. What happens is that the virus can cause genetic changes in cells that make them more likely to become cancerous, there is a difference.