Elsevier

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 48, Issue 6, June 1997, Pages 491-497
Medical Hypotheses

Is breast cancer caused by late exposure to a common virus?

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-9877(97)90118-3Get rights and content

Abstract

Although there are recognized risk factors for breast cancer, its cause is still unknown. It is hypothesized here that breast cancer results from late exposure to a common virus. This hypothesis is investigated by relating the epidemiology of breast cancer to the seroepidemiology of cytomegalovirus, as a surrogate for a breast cancer virus. The hypothesis is consistent with the geographical distribution of breast cancer; a correlation between breast cancer incidence and the precentage of adults who are cytomegalovirus seropositive in various countries was found (Pearson correlation coefficient -0.79). The hypothesis is also consistent with other risk factors for breast cancer, such as age at onset, family history, hormonal factors and migration.

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