Viruses And Cancer - Essay Example

VIRUSES AND CANCER By Janice Wotherspoon, BSW Submitted November 23, 2005 Section: Semester: Year: The purpose of this report is to examine information about the link several prominent researchers have found to exist between viruses and cancer. According to the evidence found by researching the internet it appears there is a definite need for women to be cognizant of the risks for developing cervical cancer if they are exposed to specific viruses. Details of research conducted by Darron R. Brown and colleagues from the Indiana University School of Medicine(1) and a series of collaborative studies between Drs. James McDougall, Janet Daling, Steve Schwartz, Peggy Porter, and Denise Galloway of the Hutchinson Center (3) have all provided conclusive evidence of a strong link between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer. As a result of studying the scientific evidence of viral infections as possible catalysts for the development of cervical cancer it appears there is a definite need not only for further research and proof but for a concentrated effort by clinicians to provide this information to the general public. Wotherspoon 1 Viruses and Cancer Research by Darren R. Brown and his colleagues from the Indiana school of Medicine (1) along with the work of researchers from the John Hopkins Cancer Institute and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (2) seems to provide ample evidence of a definite link between viruses and cancer. According to the literature “Hodgkin’s disease, cervical cancer, head and neck cancers and AIDS related malignancies are among the cancers known to be virus driven.” (3) Because of the vast amount of material available this report will focus primarily on the relationship between viruses and cervical cancer. An article that appeared in Science Daily shortly after their research was completed documents findings by Brown and colleagues that “there appears to be a link between cancer of the cervix and viruses in the group of 60 adolescent women between the ages of 14 – 17 years of age. Results of this study were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, January 15, 2005. The study conducted by Brown and his colleagues focused on Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted disease with effects ranging from “asymptomatic carriage of the virus to genital warts to cervical cancer…” “During the course of the study, 49 of 60 subjects tested positive for HPV infection…Many of the HPV positive study participants were infected with not just one, but multiple HPV types…Among these different types, a substantial number were those associated with a high risk for cervical cancer.” (1) According to this research, 39 per cent of the swab specimens examined were considered to be high risk for cancer and 20 Wotherspoon 2 per cent as low risk. In a report on their research Brown and his colleagues concluded that with these findings indicated “four out of five adolescent women (were infected) with HPV. Additional findings obtained by research conducted at the A.P. John Cancer Research Institute support Brown’s work. This research found that women who “began having sexual intercourse before age 18 and women who have had many sexual partners have a high risk of developing cervical cancer.” (1) The A.P. John Cancer Institute report also states that women with partners who began having sex at a younger age are also at risk. As well those who have had many sexual partners or were previously married to women who had cervical cancer are found to be at risk. Researchers state that while there is no real indication of why the sexual practices of women and their partners affect the risk of cervical cancer there is evidence that some sexually transmitted viruses can cause cells in the cervix to begin the series of changes that can lead to cancer. (2) Results of tests conducted at the John Hopkins Institute are similar to those found in the research conducted by Brown. A report on research by the former points out that women who began having sex at a young age or whose partners had many sexual partners may “have an increased risk for cervical cancer at least in part because they are more likely to get a sexually transmitted virus.” A.P. John Cancer Institute researchers have also found that women who do have HPV or whose partners have HPV “may have a higher than average risk of developing cervical cancer. However, most women who are infected with HPV do not develop cervical cancer and Wotherspoon 3 the virus is not present in all women who have the disease.” For these reasons, other factors may be acting together with HPV’s. Researchers at the A.P. John Cancer Institute postulate that the Genital Herpes virus may also play a role and they point out that further research is needed to learn the “exact role of these viruses and how they act together with other factors in the development of cervical cancer.” Additional factors suggested by the researchers may be that “women whose immune systems are weakened are more likely…to develop cervical cancer. For example women who have the (HIV) virus, which causes AIDS, are at an increased risk. Also organ transplant patients, who receive drugs that suppress the immune system…are more likely…to develop precancerous lesions.” (2) Conclusion This brief review of the literature provides ample evidence of the need for physicians and the general public to be aware of the link between cervical cancer and viruses. This writer believes that if the women who are at the highest risk of contracting the disease of cancer as a result of their sexual practices were given this information there may be a reduction in cases of cervical cancer that seem to be related to viral infections. As well, if physicians are more cognizant of the need to investigate the possibility of cancer cells being formed in patients who are diagnosed with the sexually transmitted diseases cited in this paper there may be a greater likelihood that these women would escape further suffering that could be caused by cervical cancer. Wotherspoon 4 References Brown, Darron R. and Colleagues. “Very high Prevalence Of Virus Linked to Cervical Cancer in Adolescent Women.” Online Article. 2004-12-29, Science Daily, 2005-21-11, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004 John, AP (2005); Cervical Cancer; A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research Website; 2005-21-11), http://www.apjohncancerinstitute.org McDougall, Dr. James; Daling, Dr. Janet; Schwartz, Dr. Steve; Porter, Dr. Peggy; Galloway, Dr. Denise; Online Research Report. 2005-11-19, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Web Site. http://www.fhcrc.org/research/diseases/cervical_cancer Read More