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Cancer Caused By Viruses And Bugs, Study Finds

PA  |  Posted: 09/05/2012 06:34 Updated: 09/05/2012 09:53   PA

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Of the 7.5 million global deaths from cancer that occurred in 2008, an estimated 1.5 million may have been due to potentially preventable or treatable infections.

Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause around two million cases of cancer in the world each year, experts believe.

Of the 7.5 million global deaths from cancer that occurred in 2008, an estimated 1.5 million may have been due to potentially preventable or treatable infections.

Scientists carried out a statistical analysis of cancer incidence to calculate that around 16% of all cancers diagnosed in 2008 were infection-related. The proportion of cancers linked to infection was three times higher in developing than in developed countries.

Key cancer-causing infectious agents include human papillomavirus (HPV), the gastric bug Helicobacter pylori and the hepatitis B (HBV) and C viruses.

These four were together believed to be responsible for 1.9 million cases of cancer, mostly gastric, liver and cervical cancers.

Cervical cancer accounted for around half of infection-related women's cancers. In men, more than 80% of infection-related cancers affected the liver, stomach and colon.

Study lead authors Dr Catherine de Martel and Dr Martyn Plummer, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, wrote in The Lancet Oncology journal: "Infections with certain viruses, bacteria, and parasites are one of the biggest and preventable causes of cancer worldwide ... Application of existing public-health methods for infection prevention, such as vaccination, safer injection practice, or antimicrobial treatments, could have a substantial effect on future burden of cancer worldwide."

The researchers used information from a number of sources including a cancer-incidence database covering 27 cancers from 184 countries.

Commenting on the findings in journal, Dr Goodarz Danaei from the Harvard School of Public Medicine in Boston, US, wrote: "Their estimates show the potential for preventive and therapeutic programmes in less developed countries to significantly reduce the global burden of cancer and the vast disparities across regions and countries.

"Since effective and relatively low-cost vaccines for HPV and HBV are available, increasing coverage should be a priority for health systems in high-burden countries

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Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause around two million cases of cancer in the world each year, experts believe. Of the 7.5 million global deaths from cancer that occurred in 2008, an estimated 1.
Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause around two million cases of cancer in the world each year, experts believe. Of the 7.5 million global deaths from cancer that occurred in 2008, an estimated 1.
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OldNedder
364 Fans
08:19 PM on 05/09/2012
The title is misleading, indicating that the article is about a recent discovery that these things can cause cancer. That is not the case. It has been well know for a long time that these things can cause cancer. The article is about how much cancer is caused by these agents.
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Clarks0n
24 Fans
07:06 PM on 05/09/2012
Forget around the world, lets worry about the UK for the time being huff post UK, 2 million on a world basis is nothing considering we are about 1-2 billion overpopulated.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TheSarge
Armed Crawdad BodyGuard
760 Fans
06:58 PM on 05/09/2012
Anything that causes damage to a cell can cause a mutation.
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trsdek
20 Fans
06:54 PM on 05/09/2012
Hepatitis is a major cause of liver cancer. There's no doubting that.
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F1rewoman
47 Fans
06:09 PM on 05/09/2012
Well try getting an MD to test you for parasites in this country. Not going to happen. That is why the prevalence for finding it here is low. They still think you only get parasites if you live in third world countries. It takes forever to get a GI to test you for H. Pylori. Most still think stress causes ulcer's. They still think stress causes IBS. When it comes to GI matters, doctors in this country need to get it together.
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frogsfroat
34 Fans
04:22 PM on 05/09/2012
Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause around two million cases of cancer in the world each year, experts believe. PARASITES, well the houses of parliment is full of them, STAY AWAY from your local MPs
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Ecurie Ecosse
16 Fans
12:39 PM on 05/09/2012
Most of the above illness that are suppose to cause cancer also have Vaccines that have cancer agents added to them. May be a closer look should be give to if you have had the illness and then the Vaccine and now the cancer to people which had the illness without the vaccine.

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/chilling-evidence-vaccine-linked-to-cancer/?rmid=2011_10_07_EHD_
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Dawn Babcock Papple
43 Fans
12:14 PM on 05/09/2012
What's that they always say? Oh yes.... Correlation is not causation.
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