Fed: Virus linked to breast cancer

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Fed: Virus linked to breast cancer

By Judy Skatssoon, National Medical Writer

SYDNEY, Aug 17 AAP - Australian researchers have produced evidence that some breastcancers may be caused by a virus, raising the prospect of a vaccine against breast cancer.

The culprit is believed to be the HHMMTV virus - or Human Homologue of Mouse MammaryTumour Virus.

University of NSW PhD student Caroline Ford says the HHMMTV virus has been found inmore than 40 per cent of Australian breast cancer samples.

It was found in only two per cent of healthy breast tissue samples taken from cosmetic surgery.

The mouse version of the virus accounts for more than 95 per cent of breast cancers in mice.

"If this virus does in fact play a role (in breast cancer) it opens up the possibilityof a preventative vaccine," said Ms Ford, who unveiled the research at a scientific forumin Melbourne today.

However, she said more work was needed to prove her theory and it was likely that acombination of hormonal, genetic and environmental factors like the virus influenced thedevelopment of breast cancer.

The concept of a virus causing cancer is not new and the HPV virus that causes genitalwarts is strongly linked to cervical cancer.

Ms Ford's study into the HHMMTV virus, conducted with researchers from the Prince ofWales Hospital in Sydney, is published in the Journal of Clinical Cancer Research.

The study also suggests HHMMTV could play a role in more severe forms of breast cancer,as well as breast cancer in men.

Half of male breast cancer samples tested positive to the virus, Ms Ford found.

She said if a link was established it would have major implications for the preventionof breast cancer, which is currently thought of as a predominantly hereditary disease.

"Many people believe that breast cancer is purely a hereditary disease, yet hereditarybreast cancer is estimated to account for only five per cent of all cases," she said.

"In other words, we have little idea what causes 19 out of 20 cases.

"If it can be shown that this virus causes cancer, the possibility of a preventativevaccine for breast cancer would be of enormous consequence."

The study, carried out in 2000, found 42 per cent of breast cancer samples tested positivefor the virus.

Ms Ford has been awarded a Fresh Science award under a national program aimed at drawingattention to the achievements of young Australian scientists.

AAP jjs/drp/jlw

KEYWORD: BREAST