Is HPV virus associated with human breast cancer? Time to re-examine the postulate. Egyptian Study

Abstract

Background: There is increasing evidence that high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) is involved in cancers in addition to cervical cancer. Infectious agents are thought to be responsible for approximately 16% of cancers worldwide, however there are mixed reports in the literature regarding the prevalence and potential pathogenicity of viruses in breast cancer. Methods: We screened 30 fresh frozen breast cancer tissue specimens collected immediately postoperative from patients in Ain-Shams University Hospital for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA by PCR and Koilocytic changes in the breast cancer tissue. Results: Overall prevalence of HPV in malignant breast tissue was 16.7% In addition, we found that the oncogenic characteristics of HPV associated breast cancer are very similar to HPV-associated cervical cancer. Specifically, that putative koilocytes are present in some HPV associated breast cancers. Conclusion: The above observations indicate a likely causal role for high-risk HPV in human breast cancer and offer the possible role of HPV in breast cancer prognosis