Can Herpes Simplex Virus Cause Cancer?

Joanna — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:57:58 +0000

The herpes simplex viruses, among the most ubiquitous, persistent and resistant of infectious organisms, are fast gaining notoriety as a cause of human illnesses. Indeed, every species of animal seems to have evolved with its own contingent of disease-causing herpes viruses, and few herpes infections in any species have thus far proved curable or preventable.

In fact, says Dr. Clyde Crumpacker of Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, one of a legion of researchers currently battling these stubborn organisms, the five herpes viruses that infect human beings are now believed to cause more illness than any other group of viruses. Two members of the herpes family are leading suspects in research efforts to prove that herpes viruses cause human cancers, including cancer of the cervix.

Though herpes simplex virus is currently best known by name as the cause of a worldwide epidemic of venereal disease, this virus family plagues people of all ages and circumstances: The fetus may be devastated by cytomegalovirus, the child bespotted by chicken pox, the adolescent felled by infectious mononucleosis, the adult pestered by recurrent herpes cold sores, the aged agonized by herpes shingles.

And unless some way is found to control the epidemic of genital herpes, which now affects one in five American adults, a dramatic increase is predicted in cervical abnormalities and cases of cervical cancer. An apparent increase in early cases of cervical cancer has already been noted by several gynecologists.

”Each year, another half million cases of genital herpes are added to the 20-odd million already infected,” notes Dr. Fred Rapp, a microbiologist at Hershey Medical School and a leading herpes investigator. ”We will soon have 30 million cases, and the chances of getting infected by an occasional sexual partner keep increasing.”

According to Dr. Rapp, other characteristics responsible for the increased notoriety of herpes viruses and the difficulties researchers have in combating them include the following:

– All the herpes viruses can hide out in the body, apparently for life. At least three – the cold sore, genital herpes and chicken pox viruses – can re-emerge to cause recurrent infections.

– Although the first effective antiviral drug was developed against a herpes virus, there is still no cure for human herpes and no treatment for herpes can eradicate hidden herpes infections or prevent their recurrence. Treatment for herpes can ward off herpes-caused blindness and potentially deadly herpes encephalitis, but in the latter case, the herpes treatment itself can have devastating side effects.

– All five human herpes viruses have been shown in the laboratory to transform normal human cells into cancer cells, though proof that the viruses actually cause cancer in people is still indefinite. Two nonhuman herpes viruses are already established causes of cancer in animals: Marek’s disease, a lymphoma of chickens, and kidney cancer in leopard frogs. In addition to cervical cancer, in people herpes viruses are suspected causes of Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and possibly also vulvar cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma (which occurs primarily among homosexual men) and cancer of the prostate and bladder.

– Pieces of genetic material from genital herpes virus have been found in cancer cells of 40 to 50 percent of patients with cervical cancer, Dr. Rapp said. One study showed that women who married men whose first wives had cervical cancer themselves faced a three-tofour-times increased risk of developing the disease.

– Vaccines, which stimulate the production of antibodies to fight off infectious organisms, may not block latent or recurrent herpes or prevent herpes-triggered cancers. Recurrent infection and herpes associated cancers occur in people who are loaded with antibodies, which may keep the virus from causing a body-wide attack, but cannot prevent recurring herpes lesions. Nor would they keep the herpes simplex virus from transforming cells to cancer.

However, a successful herpes vaccine was developed against Marek’s disease of chickens, raising the hope that similar preventives might ward off initial herpes infections with human herpes viruses.

Can Herpes in Women Cause Cervical Cancer?

Joanna — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:14:49 +0000

Herpes is a kind of a sexually transmitted disease. A person with herpes and genital herpes can easily spread the herpes virus via skin contact. If you compare herpes to any flu virus that you can get through the air, herpes spreads by direct contact in the skin. This happens when a person with herpes or oral herpes or genital herpes, is in close or direct contact to a probable victim. For example, if you have oral herpes or herpes mouth sores and you kiss someone, then you can transfer the herpes virus to their mouths. Also, if you have active genital herpes outbreaks and you have vaginal or anal intercourse with another person, then you can spread the herpes virus to them as well. Lastly, if you have mouth sores caused by herpes or oral herpes and you put your mouth on other people’s genitals, or oral sex, then there is a chance that your partner will have genital herpes or oral herpes also.

Herpes, oral herpes, and genital herpes can easily spread when there are sores, but there are also other ways on how you can get herpes. For example, for oral herpes and genital herpes cases, some people with herpes feel an itch, some tingling, or other related sensations before the see the effects of herpes on their skin. This is what they call the prodromal symptoms of herpes and they tell us that the herpes virus may be present on your skin. With this initial signs of herpes, the herpes virus may already be spreading on your body. Whenever you feel these oral herpes or genital herpes symptoms then you have to control sexual contact, may it be oral, vaginal, or anal means.

Some people relate cervical cancer to the existence of herpes. Cervical cancer is a common disease of women, and some of these women affected with oral herpes or genital herpes wonders if it can probably lead to cervical cancer already. But what is cervical cancer and what is its relationship to oral herpes or genital herpes?

According to experts in the field of herpes and cancer, some common sexually transmitted disease or herpes to be exact could act as a catalyst in causing some cases of cervical cancer. Herpes, oral herpes, and, genital herpes appear to increase the risk of developing the cancer especially in women. It is already known that the human papilloma virus (HPV) causes most cases. But researchers and experts are suggesting that genital herpes, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) could act in conjunction with HPV to increase a woman’s risk of having cervical cancer due to herpes.

Women who have human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervix have a greater risk of invasive cervical cancer if they also have genital herpes or any type of herpes. This is based on some case studies made on women with HPV and herpes or genital herpes. Women with invasive cervical cancer were also nearly twice as likely to have antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (herpes virus or HSV-2). Among all women who had HPV-infected cervical cells, women who also had antibodies to herpes virus or HSV-2 had more than twice the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and more than three times the risk of adenocarcinoma.

A multivariate analysis was performed among HPV-positive women and women with herpes. HPV-infected women who were also positive for herpes virus or HSV-2 had more than twice the odds of squamous cell carcinoma found among HPV-infected women who tested negative for herpes virus or HSV-2 (2.2), and more than three times the odds of adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous cell carcinoma (3.4). Compared with herpes virus or HSV-2-positive women who had low-risk types of HPV, those who had high-risk HPV other than type 16 had 2.6-4.2 the odds of invasive cervical cancer.This study shows some interesting relationship between cervical cancer and herpes or genital herpes to be exact.

Genital Herpes Clinic - Everything About Herpes » cancer

Can Herpes Simplex Virus Cause Cancer?

Can Herpes in Women Cause Cervical Cancer?