viral etiology of breast cancer, lymphoma?

[Guest guest]

At 08:34 PM 6/15/2008, you wrote:

>Is there some data that breast cancer is caused by a virus?

'Breast cancer virus' found

Scientists have found a possible link between a newly-discovered

virus and breast cancer.

Doctors in Australia discovered the virus in 40% of tissue samples

taken from women with the disease.

Further tests showed that only 2% of women without the disease carry

this virus, which is called HHMMTV.

While further research is needed, they hope the discovery could lead

to new treatments to fight breast cancer. It affects one in nine

British women.

The scientists, from Sydney's University of New South Wales and

Prince of Wales Hospital, found evidence to suggest that many men who

develop breast cancer may also carry this virus.

They identified the virus in 50% of the male breast cancer tissues

they tested.

The scientists believe the virus may be the human form of the mammary

tumour virus. This causes 95% of breast cancer in mice.

Further research

While it is too early to suggest that this virus may cause breast

cancer, the researchers said they were excited by the finding.

Caroline Ford, who led the study, said the discovery could lead to

new treatments for the disease if a link can be proven.

" Many people believe that breast cancer is purely a hereditary

disease, yet hereditary breast cancer is estimated to account for

only 5% of all cases of breast cancer, " she said.

" In other words, we have little idea what causes 19 out of 20 cases.

" Our preliminary research indicates that a virus may be involved.

" This new research supports the link between this virus and breast

cancer in Australia.

" If it can be shown that this virus causes cancer, the possibility of

a preventative vaccine for breast cancer would be of enormous

consequence, " she said.

" It's an exciting discovery, but there's a lot of work still to do to

get sufficient proof of the role of the virus. "

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Cancer Research.

The findings were presented at Australia's Fresh Science Forum, which

is part of the government sponsored Science Week.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3159593.stm

Published: 2003/08/18 10:36:46 GMT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Public release date: 27-Feb-2001

Epstein-Barr virus linked to invasive breast cancer and lymphoma

U-M scientists find virus releases molecular brake on roaming cancer cells

ANN ARBOR, MI - Scientists in the University of Michigan Medical

School have found a molecular link between aggressive breast and

lymphatic cancers and the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious

mononucleosis.

In a paper published in the March 2001 issue of Nature Medicine, U-M

scientists show how the Epstein-Barr virus alters the function of a

cellular protein that normally suppresses the movement of malignant

cells. When this natural brake on cell migration is disabled by the

virus, cancerous breast and lymphatic cells are free to metastasize or spread.

" This is the first evidence of a human virus associated with the

development of cancerous tumors targeting a cellular protein to

promote the migration of malignant cells, " says Erle S. on,

Ph.D., who directed the study. on is an assistant professor of

microbiology and immunology in the U-M Medical School and a

researcher in the U-M's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

" The Epstein-Barr virus is associated with many human cancers --

including Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Hodgkin's

disease and invasive breast cancer, " on says.

The virus is very common. More than 90 percent of adults show signs

of previous viral infection. Adolescents infected with the acute

phase of the virus can develop infectious mononucleosis, but usually

the body's natural immune response forces the virus to revert to its

latent phase -- where it hides inside the nucleus of immune cells

called lymphocytes without producing any symptoms.

Even though the virus is endemic in humans, on emphasizes that

most cells infected by the virus may never become malignant.

Additional genetic factors are required to trigger development of

cancer. Should cancer develop, however, on says the risk of

metastasis may be higher in individuals previously exposed to the virus.

" People with aggressive forms of cancer are most vulnerable and

should be checked to determine the status of previous viral exposure

when physicians are choosing the most appropriate treatment for

them, " on says. " It also would be wise to closely monitor

people with a history of active Epstein-Barr viral infection for

early signs of cancer. "

In the study, Chitra Subramanian, Ph.D., a U-M research fellow, and

Murray A. Cotter II, a U-M graduate student, investigated a gene from

the Epstein-Barr virus called EBNA-3C, and the protein produced by

infected lymphocytes when this gene is expressed. The EBNA-3C protein

was found in all EBV-infected cancerous lymphocytes in the breast

cancer and lymphoma cell lines analyzed in the study.

U-M researchers discovered that the EBNA-3C protein binds to a human

metastatic suppressor protein called Nm23-H1, which is found in all

human cells. " The interaction between the two proteins disables

Nm23-H1's natural ability to keep malignant cells in their original

location thereby promoting metastasis, " explains on.

" We have mapped the binding site to one region of the viral protein

EBNA-3C and hope in future research to identify the exact location on

the targeted protein, " on says. " Our goal is to find the

binding site and discover how to block the interaction between these

two proteins.

" If we succeed, physicians could one day be able to treat primary

breast and lymphatic cancers, as well as other cancers associated

with the Epstein-Barr virus, without worrying about malignant cells

spreading to other parts of the body. "

###

The research study was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of

America and the National Cancer Institute.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/16/08 12:34:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

vgammill@... writes:

> The scientists believe the virus may be the human form of the mammary

> tumour virus. This causes 95% of breast cancer in mice.

>

>

Is there any way to test for this virus and how can it be treated

successfully before it causes a tumor? This is quite scarey..how does one

contract this

virus?

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