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The causative role of herpesvirus type 2 in cervical cancer
Author(s) -
Melnick Joseph L.,
Adam Ervin,
Rawls William E.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197410)34:8+<1375::aid-cncr2820340807>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - medicine , cervical cancer , cancer , virology
Antibodies against herpesvirus type 2 are more frequently found in women with cervical cancer than in matched control women. This appears to be true not only for invasive carcinoma of the cervix but also for carcinoma in situ and cervical dysplasia. Since both cervical cancer and herpes type 2 infections are related to attributes associated with venereally transmitted agents, the association between the virus and the cancer could represent one of covariability. However, recent studies, including the comparison of cervical cancer patients with matched breast cancer patients of the same social group, support the hypothesis of a causal relation of the virus to cervical cancer. Also supporting the hypothesis are the recent findings of antibodies to herpesvirus‐induced nonvirion antigens in cervical cancer patients. An important next step in furthering our knowledge of the role of herpesvirus in human cancer would be carefully executed prospective studies: 1) to determine the relative risk of developing the disease among women with and without a past herpesvirus type 2 infection, and 2) to determine the occurrence of antibodies to herpesvirus nonvirion antigens in relation to cervical neoplasia and to evaluate the diagnostic and/or prognostic value of antibody patterns to the virion and nonvirion antigens. From these data it should be possible to characterize high‐risk women who can be followed more carefully and to whom existing preventive measures could be more intensively applied.