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Wait — Viruses Can Cause Cancer? Here’s the Deal

It’s not just radiation and chemicals you should worry about.

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH
Microbial Instincts
9 min readJan 23, 2025

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HPV viral particles. (Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash)

When we think about cancer, our minds often jump to genetics, lifestyle choices, or environmental factors. We put on sunblock when we go out in the sun, avoid smoking, and install radon detectors in our homes. If we have a family history of cancer, we tend to worry about an ache or pain (or mass) we detect in an unusual part of our body.

Don’t get me wrong. That’s all fine and good. But did you know that certain viruses can cause cancer? While not every infection leads to a malignancy, a handful of viruses have been scientifically linked to specific cancers. These viruses, known as “oncoviruses,” (onco- meaning “tumor” or “mass”) have sparked interest because of their unique mechanisms and potential for prevention through vaccines and other strategies.

As with any other virus, prevention is key. But let’s also talk about what you can do if you are exposed and infected. So let’s go one by one, and talk about these nasty little pieces of enveloped (or not) genetic material that hijack your cells and cause disease.

How Viruses Trigger Cancer: The Mechanisms at Play

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Microbial Instincts
Microbial Instincts

Published in Microbial Instincts

Decoding the microbial angle to health and microbial world (under Medium Boost program).

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH
René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

Written by René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

DrPH in Epidemiology. Public Health Instructor. Father. Husband. "All around great guy." https://linktr.ee/rene.najera

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