The cancer burden attributable to biologic agents

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Oncology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Biologic and infectious agents are implicated in a proportion of cancer diagnoses worldwide.
• Understanding the global burden of infection-attributed cancers is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the proportion of cancer cases attributable to infectious agents globally and in the United States.
• To review epidemiologic studies estimating the population attributable fraction of cancers linked to infectious agents.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of cohort and case-control studies published since 2000.
• Estimation of population attributable fractions using relative risk and exposure prevalence data for oncogenic infectious agents.

Main Results:

• Infectious agents account for 20-30% of cancers in low- and middle-income countries, versus 5-10% in industrialized nations.
• Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human papillomaviruses, and Helicobacter pylori are responsible for over 90% of infection-attributed global cancers.

Conclusions:

• Epidemiologic and molecular studies confirm the significant role of infectious agents in global cancer incidence.
• Findings support the development of vaccines for hepatitis B virus and human papillomaviruses, and strategies for Helicobacter pylori eradication.