ABSTRACT
Viral-associated cancers in humans became a major focus of cancer research when Epstein-Barr virus-the first human oncoviruswas found in 1964. Followed by this discovery, a series of human oncogenic viruses were found through the 1980s and 1990s, including hepatitis viruses, human retroviruses, human herpesviruses, and human papillomaviruses. This chapter outlines the well-established associations of viruses with cancers in humans. It focuses on the epidemiology and mechanisms of these associations as well as on biomarkers of cancer risk in humans. The unique feature of this virus is its association with multiple types of cancer of different cellular origins. In cervical cancer, integration of the human papillomavirus genome precedes the clonal outgrowth of the tumor, indicating that the virus plays an essential role in the malignant progression to cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) are found in over 90% of all invasive cervical cancers, the leading cause of cancer death in women in developing countries.
