A recent report by the Lancet Oncology journal is somewhat alarming. It seems that 17% of all cancers are the result of infection, and largely preventable or treatable.
These infections can be parasites, bacteria, or viruses, and make up about 2 million new cancer cases every year. Of those 2 million cases, 1.5 million result in death. Of the 12.7 million cancer cases reported in 2008, 1 out of every six were the result of some type of infection.
“Application of existing public health methods for infection prevention, such as vaccination, safer injection practice or antimicrobial treatments, could have a substantial effect on the future burden of cancer worldwide,” said the report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.
There are four main infections responsible for 1.9 million of these cases. They are:
Helicobacter pylori stomach bacteria
Human papilloma virus or HPV
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
These are responsible for most cervical, gastric, and liver cancers.
Dr. Brahm H. Segal, chief of infectious disease at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, said that ensuring all women have access to the HPV vaccine is one way to cut down on infections and cervical cancer. He also pointed out that there is an effective vaccine for hepatitis B, which is linked to liver cancer,. The vaccine is readily available, yet underutilized.
“Both are on the shelf and proven to be safe and effective,” he said.
Wiping out cancers caused by the hepatitis C virus is far more complex because there is no vaccine. Clean needle exchanges and the use of condom go a long way in the prevention of infection; however, behavioral changes are difficult to implement.
The researchers suggest that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is linked to stomach cancer, can be indentified with blood tests and treated with antibiotics.
“But as a method of preventing stomach cancer, it’s not quite ready for prime time,” Segal said.
In New Zealand and Australia 3.3 percent of new cases are infection related cancers. However, in sub-Saharan Africa this number jumps to 32.7 percent. People living in developing countries are more likely to die from a cancer caused by an infection or virus – 23% compared to 7% in developed countries.
Source: Shockwave Therapy in India
