Can infections and parasites cause cancer?

The article was written by Specialist Doctor I Le Thi Nha Hien - Internal Oncologist, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Since the early 20th century, we have known that infections can cause cancer in animals. Recently, infection with certain viruses, bacteria, and parasites has been known to be a risk factor for certain types of cancer in humans.

1.Can infection cause cancer? Worldwide, infection is linked to about 15 to 20% of cancers. This rate is even higher in developing countries, and low in the US and other developed countries. This is explained by the prevalence of infections in developing countries as well as obesity being a common cancer risk factor in developed countries.
Infections can increase the risk of cancer in people in many ways, such as:
Some viruses directly affect growth genes inside cells leading to uncontrolled cell growth Some types viruses can cause prolonged inflammation in a part of the body leading to changes in affected cells that then affect immune cells, eventually leading to cancer Some viruses can suppress the immune system human epidemic, which in turn causes cancer Any of these changes increase the risk of cancer
Although the infection has been described as an increased risk in some types of cancer, most people with This infection never develops into cancer. For example, infection with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori can increase your risk of stomach cancer, but what you eat, your habits (smoking, drinking, etc.) can also affect your cancer risk.
Many infections can increase the risk of cancer being passed from person to person, but cancer cannot. A healthy person cannot “catch” cancer from another person.

Certain types of parasitic worms that can live inside the human body may also increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis are liver flukes (a type of flatworm) that have been linked to an increased risk of developing cholangiocarcinoma. The bile ducts are the tubes that connect the liver to the intestines. These infections come from eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish. They occur mainly in East Asia and are rare in other parts of the world.
Schistosoma haematobium is a parasite found in the water of several countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Infection with this parasite (a disease called schistosomiasis) has been linked to bladder cancer. Possible links to other types of cancer are also being studied.
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