CANCER RISKS: INFECTIONS AND IMMUNE IMPAIRMENT NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1987. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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CANCER RISKS: INFECTIONS AND IMMUNE IMPAIRMENT

Cancer Risks and Prevention. Vessey MP, Gray M, eds. New York, Oxford University Press, p. 149-65, 1985.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/87628884
Kinlen LJ; CRC Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Medical School, Edinburgh, Scotland

Abstract: Cancers for which the epidemiological and laboratory evidence of a specific viral cause is strong (eg, primary liver cancer) are reviewed; in addition, those tumors that show similarities with certain infections, such as cervical cancer (with venereal infections) or Hodgkin's disease (with paralytic poliomyelitis), are discussed, although the evidence for their causation by any specific virus is far from convincing. The following cancers are reviewed: cervical cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, Hodgkin's disease, Kaposi's sarcoma, penis cancer, skin cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in immunodeficiency states, and adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma. The hypothesis of Thomas and Burnet on immunosurveillance has implied that any significant degree of immunosuppression would tend to increase the incidence of cancer. Cancers linked to such immune impairment are discussed, including major epithelial cancers, lymphomas, skin cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma and other soft tissue sarcomas, and other cancers. Virus-linked cancers in man include one of the most common neoplasms in the world, primary liver cancer. For this neoplasm a specific virus has been identified but for several other such tumors, despite circumstantial evidence for an infective and probably viral origin, no specific viruses have been incriminated. It is possible that certain cancers may create such ideal cellular conditions that the most intimate links between certain viruses and tumors are promoted, thereby encouraging the erroneous conclusion that the virus is causal. The ultimate test is not whether there is integration of viral and host DNA, but whether intervention directed at the infection will reduce the incidence of the tumor. Research is underway to see if vaccination against hepatitis B virus will reduce the high incidence of primary liver cancer in regions of Africa. (87 Refs)
Keywords: Burkitt's Lymphoma/IMMUNOLOGY Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/IMMUNOLOGY Cervix Neoplasms/IMMUNOLOGY Female Hodgkin's Disease/IMMUNOLOGY Human HTLV-BLV Infections/IMMUNOLOGY Immune Tolerance Infection/*IMMUNOLOGY Liver Neoplasms/IMMUNOLOGY Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's/IMMUNOLOGY Male Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/IMMUNOLOGY Neoplasms/*IMMUNOLOGY Sarcoma, Kaposi's/IMMUNOLOGY Sexually Transmitted Diseases/COMPLICATIONS Skin Neoplasms/IMMUNOLOGY Tumor Virus Infections/IMMUNOLOGY Virus Diseases/COMPLICATIONS MONOGRAPH

KWDburkitt'slymphoma/immunologycarcinoma,hepatocellular/immunologycervixneoplasms/immunologyfemalehodgkin'sdisease/immunologyhumanhtlv-blvinfections/immunologyimmunetoleranceinfection/KWDimmunologyliverneoplasms/immunologylymphoma,non-hodgkin's/immunologymalenasopharyngealneoplasms/immunologyneoplasms/KWDimmunologysarcoma,kaposi's/immunologysexuallytransmitteddiseases/complicationsskinneoplasms/immunologytumorvirusinfections/immunologyvirusdiseases/complicationsmonograph
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Copyright © 1987 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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