Log on / register
BioMed Central home | Journals A-Z | Feedback | Support | My details
Commentary

From Bittner to Barr: a viral, diet and hormone breast cancer aetiology hypothesis

James S Lawson1 email, Dinh Tran2 and William D Rawlinson3

Center for Public Health, School of Health Services Management, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Anatomical Pathology, St Vincents Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia

Division of Virology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

author email corresponding author email

Breast Cancer Res 2001, 3:81-85doi:10.1186/bcr275

Published: 18 December 2000

Abstract

It is hypothesized that the human homologue of the mouse mammary tumour virus (HHMMTV) and other viruses, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), act as cofactors with diet, oestrogens and other hormones in the initiation and promotion of some types of breast cancer in genetically susceptible women. It is further hypothesized that diet influences the risk of breast cancer, through its influence on oestrogen metabolism and that of other hormones, in combination with genetic and infectious agents.


© 1999-2010 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. Part of Springer Science+Business Media.