Prevention: Prostate cancer hopes rise after link to virus

Some forms of prostate cancer may be caused by a virus, raising hopes of a vaccine being developed to combat it, say scientists.

Researchers examined more than 300 tumours and found the infection, XMRV, in almost a third. The finding could lead to antiviral drugs to fight prostate cancer, or tests to find those at risk of developing the condition.

The scientists behind the study, from Utah University in the US, said the xenotropic murine leukaemia virus (XMRV) was more likely to be present in men who had aggressive cancers raising the hope of a new treatment.

The findings suggest the virus could be sexually transmitted like the human papillomavirus virus (HPV) that causes 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases.

http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20090908/virus-linked-to-prostate-cancer

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