Can You Catch Cancer From a Virus? Yes
It always sounded, to me, like the stuff of horror movies. Cancer caused by a virus? That anyone can catch?
Well, it turns out neither breast cancer or a type of brain tumor called a glioblastoma (the most fatal kind) are not caused by a virus.
Accordingn to sciencedaily.com, the study, which was based on over seven billion DNA sequences, found no genetic traces of viruses in these forms of cancer. "It has been scientifically proven that about 15 per cent of all cancer cases are the result of viral infection, but many researchers believe that even more cancers could be caused by viruses," the Web site reports.
Among other theories, it is suggested that the Epstein-Barr virus could be a possible cause of breast cancer and that the cytomegalovirus might cause the malignant brain tumour glioblastoma.
Well, it turns out neither breast cancer or a type of brain tumor called a glioblastoma (the most fatal kind) are not caused by a virus.
Accordingn to sciencedaily.com, the study, which was based on over seven billion DNA sequences, found no genetic traces of viruses in these forms of cancer. "It has been scientifically proven that about 15 per cent of all cancer cases are the result of viral infection, but many researchers believe that even more cancers could be caused by viruses," the Web site reports.
Among other theories, it is suggested that the Epstein-Barr virus could be a possible cause of breast cancer and that the cytomegalovirus might cause the malignant brain tumour glioblastoma.
Seven types of viruses are now known to be the source of 10-15 percent of all malignant human cancers, Arild S. Foss writes at sciencenordic.com.
Cervical cancer is almost always caused by an infection from human papillomavirus. Both hepatitis C and V viruses are common causes of liver cancers. Many scientists think virus infections could be causing other cancers as well, although the links have not yet been found.
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