Viruses And Human Cancer

Research on oncogenic viruses and related human cancers has advanced rapidly in the past decade. Most articles, however, focus on a specific oncogenic virus and cancer. There is consequently a need for a comprehensive, up-to-date monograph that offers broad and integrated knowledge. Viruses and Human Cancer – From Basic Science to Clinical Prevention is designed to meet this need by providing an advanced overview on the basic and clinical aspects of oncogenic viruses and the human cancers that they cause. Virology, virus-induced inflammation and tissue injuries, oncogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, and current and emerging preventive and therapeutic strategies are all discussed in detail. In addition, the book covers the individual aspects of seven oncogenic viruses, i.e., hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human papilloma virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, and the related human cancers.

This book, in a new, extensively updated edition, covers viral infection, virus-induced inflammation and tissue injuries, viral epidemiology, oncogenic mechanisms, and current and emerging preventive and therapeutic strategies in detail. Readers will also find information on the individual aspects of a number of oncogenic viruses, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, as well as associated human cancers. The book will benefit all those who are seeking a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the basic and clinical aspects of oncogenic viruses and associated human cancers. Following its original publication in 2014, the first edition of this book quickly became an influential text in the field. This second edition duly reflects the significant advances in knowledge and research that have been achieved in the years since. .

Infections must be thought as one of the most important, if not the most important, risk factors for cancer development in humans. Approximately 15-20% of all cases of cancer around the world are caused by viruses. The establishment of a causal relationship between the presence of specific infective agents and certain types of human cancer represents a key step in the development of novel therapeutic and preventive strategies. In this book, Professor zur Hausen (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 2008) provides a thorough and comprehensive overview on carcinogenic infective agents -- viruses, bacteria, parasites and protozoons -- as well as their corresponding transforming capacities and mechanisms. The result is an invaluable and instructive reference for all oncologists, microbiologists and molecular biologists working in the area of infections and cancer. The author was among the first scientists to reveal the cervical cancer-inducing mechanisms of human papilloma viruses and isolated HPV16 and HPV18, and, as early as 1976, published the hypothesis that wart viruses play a role in the development of this type of cancer.

Viruses and Human Cancer provides a comprehensive review of the seven currently known human tumor viruses and their associated cancers with an emphasis on epidemiology, clinicopathologic features, and pathogenesis. Chapters are written by internationally recognized experts and all are generously illustrated with tables, diagrams and photographic images. Viruses and Human Cancer is designed to serve as a concise review of the field of human tumor virology for pathologists, oncologists and infectious disease specialists. It will also be of great value to practicing physicians, residents and clinical fellows in these specialties.

Relates the story of the discovery of the Epstein-Barr virus in 1964 and how scientists are gradually coming to understand it, and considers why the virus causes apparently unrelated diseases in different populations.

Is cancer a contagious disease? In the late nineteenth century this idea, and attending efforts to identify a cancer “germ,” inspired fear and ignited controversy. Yet speculation that cancer might be contagious also contained a kernel of hope that the strategies used against infectious diseases, especially vaccination, might be able to subdue this dread disease. Today, nearly one in six cancers are thought to have an infectious cause, but the path to that understanding was twisting and turbulent. ​ A Contagious Cause is the first book to trace the century-long hunt for a human cancer virus in America, an effort whose scale exceeded that of the Human Genome Project. The government’s campaign merged the worlds of molecular biology, public health, and military planning in the name of translating laboratory discoveries into useful medical therapies. However, its expansion into biomedical research sparked fierce conflict. Many biologists dismissed the suggestion that research should be planned and the idea of curing cancer by a vaccine or any other means as unrealistic, if not dangerous. Although the American hunt was ultimately fruitless, this effort nonetheless profoundly shaped our understanding of life at its most fundamental levels. A Contagious Cause links laboratory and legislature as has rarely been done before, creating a new chapter in the histories of science and American politics.

Topics covered range from an overview of the contribution of DNA tumour viruses to the cancer burden worldwide, and the molecular pathogenesis of virus driven cancers to vaccine development.

Viruses are the causes of approximately 25% of human cancers. Due to their importance in carcinogenesis, there is a desperate need for a book that discusses these viruses. This book is therefore timely, providing a comprehensive review of the molecular biology of oncogenic viruses and The cancers they cause. Viruses that are discussed in the individual chapters include hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human papilloma viruses, Epsteinndash;Barr virus, Kaposi's sarcoma virus and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1. This book provides up-to-date information for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, physicians and non-experts who are interested in learning more about the oncogenic viruses and how they cause human cancers.