The possible involvement of virus in breast cancer.
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.
Amarante
Marla Karine
MK
Department of Pathological Sciences, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
Watanabe
Maria Angelica Ehara
MA
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000821:virology; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity