The prevention of infection-associated cancers

Abstract

Collectively, chronic viral and bacterial infections and trematode infestations have been estimated to be associated with approximately one of five human cancers worldwide. The fraction attributable to each one of the chronic infections caused by hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), human papillomaviruses (HPV) and Helicobacter pylori, is ∼5%. These infections are the most important causes of major types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer and stomach cancer, respectively. Taking into account the mechanisms of infection-related carcinogenesis, integrated approaches are addressed to the control of the associated infection as well as to avoidance of cancer occurrence and progression. Large-scale interventions have been implemented, such as the anti-HBV and anti-HPV routine vaccination programs. The latter has been designed with the specific goal of preventing HPV-associated cancers, which is an outstanding breakthrough in cancer prevention. Intriguingly, not only prevention but even therapy of an infectious disease and eradication of a pathogen become a crucial tool for the primary prevention of these cancers. An important role is also played by secondary prevention (e.g. Pap test and DNA testing for HPV-associated cervical cancers) and by tertiary prevention (e.g. antiangiogenesis in Kaposi's sarcoma). The present article reviews the microbial and parasitic diseases that have been associated so far with human cancers, draws an overview of their burden in cancer epidemiology, deals with applicable prevention strategies and provides examples of co-ordinated approaches to the control of cancers associated with HBV, HCV, HPV, human immunodeficiency virus and H.pylori infections.

Inflammation and p53: A Tale of Two Stresses

“…Further support for this idea is the fact that some other pathogens that used to cause severe acute human diseases but now, due to medical advances, cause relatively benign chronic infections are associated with cancers originating from the infected tissues. Examples of this include the association of lung cancer with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection, [10][11][12] colorectal cancer with Streptococcus bovis and Staphylococcus infection, 13,14 and gallbladder cancer with chronic Salmonella typhimurium infection. 13 Another group of facts pointing to inflammation as a cancer predisposing factor are examples of cancer outgrowth from pathologies that involve noninfectious inflammatory conditions such as Barrett's esophagitis, chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), age-related inflammation of prostate tissue, and so on.…”

Antitumor immunization of mothers delays tumor development in cancer-prone offspring

“…Examples can be found in vaccines that have been designed to prevent infection-associated tumors 1 and in those targeting noninfection-related cancer diseases now in preclinical phases or in clinical trials. 2 Maternal immunization against life-threatening diseaseinducing pathogens has been shown to be a viable approach against many childhood pathologies.…”

FoxM1 is Overexpressed in Helicobacter pylori–Induced Gastric Carcinogenesis and Is Negatively Regulated by miR-370

“…Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is involved in the early stage of gastric cancer pathogenesis by inducing chronic gastritis (3)(4)(5)(6). This chronic gastritis can persist for decades and may result in nonresolving inflammation, which is a major driver of gastric cancer (6), and the interaction of host-pathogen contributes to this carcinogenesis (7).…”