Study: No Link Between Epstein-Barr Virus and Invasive Breast Cancer

There may be no significant link between the Epstein-Barr virus and invasive breast cancer, according to researchers at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California.

Researchers studied 48 cases of invasive breast cancer for evidence of the Epstein-Barr virus, which has been associated with various cancers.

They found that the identification of the Epstein-Barr virus was not linked with tumor size, grade, or lymph node status, according to the study published in the American Journal of Pathology.

Researchers conclude that although there was evidence of the Epstein-Barr virus infection in tissues involved by invasive breast cancer in some cases, the lack of localization of the virus infection to a significant population of the tumor cells in any case, as well as other evidence found in their study, strongly argues against a significant role for the virus in the development of breast cancer.

Other Sources:American Journal of Pathology