Infectious causes of cancer
Infectious Causes of Cancer
Infectious causes of cancer (pronunciation: /ɪnˈfɛkʃəs kɔːzəz ɒv ˈkænsər/) refers to the development of cancer due to certain infections. The term is derived from the Latin words 'infectio' meaning 'to infect' and 'causa' meaning 'cause', and the Greek word 'karkinos' meaning 'crab' or 'cancer'.
Overview
Certain infections can increase the risk of cancer, either by causing long-term inflammation in the body, weakening the immune system, or directly causing cells to become cancerous. These infections can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
Types of Infectious Agents
Viruses
Certain viruses are known to cause cancer, these are referred to as oncoviruses. Examples include:
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) - known to cause cervical cancer, anal cancer, and some types of head and neck cancers.
- Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C - known to cause liver cancer.
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) - known to cause certain types of lymphoma.
- Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) - known to cause adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.
- Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) - known to cause Kaposi's sarcoma.
Bacteria
Certain bacteria can also cause cancer:
- Helicobacter pylori - known to cause stomach cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
Parasites
Certain parasites are also known to cause cancer:
- Schistosoma haematobium - known to cause bladder cancer.
- Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini - known to cause cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).
Prevention
Prevention of these infections can significantly reduce the risk of developing these types of cancer. This can be achieved through vaccination (for HPV and Hepatitis B), practicing safe sex, regular screening and treatment of infections, and avoiding certain risk factors such as contaminated food and water.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Infectious causes of cancer
- Wikipedia's article - Infectious causes of cancer
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski