The possible involvement of virus in breast cancer

J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2009 Mar;135(3):329-37. doi: 10.1007/s00432-008-0511-2. Epub 2008 Nov 14.

Abstract

It is well known that the etiology of human breast cancer is significantly affected by environmental factors. Virus-associated cancer refers to a cancer where viral infection results in the malignant transformation of the host's infected cells. Human papillomaviruses (HPV), mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and Epstein-Barr (EBV) virus are prime candidate viruses as agents of human breast cancer. The precise role that viruses play in tumorigenesis is not clear, but it seems that they are responsible for causing only one in a series of steps required for cancer development. The idea that a virus could cause breast cancer has been investigated for quite some time, even though breast cancer could be a hereditary disease; however, hereditary breast cancer is estimated to account for a small percentage of all breast cancer cases. Based on current research, this review present at moment, substantial, but not conclusive, evidence that HPV, EBV and MMTV may be involved in breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / etiology
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / virology*
  • Female
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / isolation & purification
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / pathogenicity
  • Humans
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / virology
  • Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / isolation & purification
  • Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / pathogenicity
  • Mice
  • Papillomaviridae / isolation & purification
  • Papillomaviridae / pathogenicity