6 ms·

Cervical cancer is usually caused by HPV. So women can prevent it by getting vaccinated

girvo 5y ago
Though that is a virus that causes cancer, whereas the cancer under discussion is transmitted directly. Splitting hairs though, IMO!
- hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
  I think it's a lot more than just splitting hairs. There are many viral-initiated cancers. The virus is transmissible, and then when the virus infects host cells in causes the DNA machinery of the cell to go haywire, leading to cancer. Examples include HPV (causes cervical, anal and throat cancer) and feline leukemia virus (retrovirus which causes weakened immune system and leukemia in cats). This is very different from a transmissible cancer, where it is the cancer cells themselves that can infect other hosts, which is pretty crazy when you first think about it. According to wikipedia there are only 3 known types among mammals: canine transmissible venereal tumor, devil facial tumor, and another cancer that affects Syrian hamsters.
  - KMag 5y ago
    There's also Human Herpes Virus 8 that causes Kopsi's Sarcoma[0]. Nearly all cases are found in immunocompromised individuals, and in times/places without HAART readily available, it is/was a common cancer in HIV+ people. In these cases, in some sense a co-infection of HHV-8 and HIV causes the cancer. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi%27s_sarcoma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi%27s_sarcoma
  - bawolff 5y ago
    I wonder if such a cancer is less cancer, and more a parasite, from a certain perspective?
    - KMag 5y ago
      For pretty much any A and B, you can create a perspective from which A is like B. The interesting question is "in which cases does this perspective give useful insights or solutions?" For treating a single animal, it's almost certainly useful to view it as a cancer. (Most drugs toxic to it will also be pretty toxic to the host, suppressing angiogenesis is helpful, etc.) From an epidemiology perspective, it probably behaves and spreads most like a bacterial infection. (Simple cell life cycle, limited environmental persistence, etc.) Parasites typically have a much more complex life cycle than these cells, and are much easier to target with drugs that won't harm the host. So... maybe there's a use case where thinking of it as a parasite is useful, but it's not immediately obvious to me.
mywacaday 5y ago
Just so you know boys can get the vaccine too to prevent them becoming carriers.
- saryant 5y ago
  And the FDA recently raised the age limit to 45! If you missed it when you get it’s now an option.
- KMag 5y ago
  > prevent them becoming carriers Avoiding passing the virus on to female partners isn't the only benefit for men. HPV also can cause penile, throat, and anal cancers in men. For instance, Michael Douglas has stated his throat cancer was caused by HPV acquired through cunnilingus.
wincy 5y ago
My uncle has terminal cancer after getting HPV in his throat from a woman who had it, 20+ years ago.
nelox 5y ago
I believe the question implied it was about non-viral transmissible cancers
- mgerullis 5y ago
  To be fair I also never heard of viral cancer before either. Imagine an epidemic of transmittable, viral cancer among humans.
kolinko 5y ago
HPV causes cancer in men too (throat), and they should also be vaccinated.

Though that is a virus that causes cancer, whereas the cancer under discussion is transmitted directly. Splitting hairs though, IMO!

hn_throwaway_99 5y ago
I think it's a lot more than just splitting hairs. There are many viral-initiated cancers. The virus is transmissible, and then when the virus infects host cells in causes the DNA machinery of the cell to go haywire, leading to cancer. Examples include HPV (causes cervical, anal and throat cancer) and feline leukemia virus (retrovirus which causes weakened immune system and leukemia in cats). This is very different from a transmissible cancer, where it is the cancer cells themselves that can infect other hosts, which is pretty crazy when you first think about it. According to wikipedia there are only 3 known types among mammals: canine transmissible venereal tumor, devil facial tumor, and another cancer that affects Syrian hamsters.
- KMag 5y ago
  There's also Human Herpes Virus 8 that causes Kopsi's Sarcoma[0]. Nearly all cases are found in immunocompromised individuals, and in times/places without HAART readily available, it is/was a common cancer in HIV+ people. In these cases, in some sense a co-infection of HHV-8 and HIV causes the cancer. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi%27s_sarcoma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaposi%27s_sarcoma
- bawolff 5y ago
  I wonder if such a cancer is less cancer, and more a parasite, from a certain perspective?
  - KMag 5y ago
    For pretty much any A and B, you can create a perspective from which A is like B. The interesting question is "in which cases does this perspective give useful insights or solutions?" For treating a single animal, it's almost certainly useful to view it as a cancer. (Most drugs toxic to it will also be pretty toxic to the host, suppressing angiogenesis is helpful, etc.) From an epidemiology perspective, it probably behaves and spreads most like a bacterial infection. (Simple cell life cycle, limited environmental persistence, etc.) Parasites typically have a much more complex life cycle than these cells, and are much easier to target with drugs that won't harm the host. So... maybe there's a use case where thinking of it as a parasite is useful, but it's not immediately obvious to me.

mywacaday 5y ago

Just so you know boys can get the vaccine too to prevent them becoming carriers.

saryant 5y ago
And the FDA recently raised the age limit to 45! If you missed it when you get it’s now an option.
KMag 5y ago
> prevent them becoming carriers Avoiding passing the virus on to female partners isn't the only benefit for men. HPV also can cause penile, throat, and anal cancers in men. For instance, Michael Douglas has stated his throat cancer was caused by HPV acquired through cunnilingus.

wincy 5y ago

My uncle has terminal cancer after getting HPV in his throat from a woman who had it, 20+ years ago.

nelox 5y ago

I believe the question implied it was about non-viral transmissible cancers

mgerullis 5y ago
To be fair I also never heard of viral cancer before either. Imagine an epidemic of transmittable, viral cancer among humans.

kolinko 5y ago

HPV causes cancer in men too (throat), and they should also be vaccinated.