HPV-Associated Breast Cancer: Myth or Fact?

Abstract

Some estimates place the proportion of human malignancies attributable to viruses at between 15 and 20 percent. Viruses including the human papillomavirus are considered an interesting but controversial etiological risk factor for breast cancer. HPV infection is anticipated to be an early trigger in breast cancer carcinogenesis, followed by cumulative alterations over time ("hit and run" mechanism) through synergy with other environmental factors. The association between HPV and breast cancer has not yet been verified. There are very conflicting data on the presence of HPV DNA in breast cancer samples, and we lack a clarified, exact mode of HPV transmission to the breast. In our review article we analyzed the up-to-date knowledge about the association of HPV and breast cancer. Furthermore, we summarized the available original research published since 2010. In conclusion, the complexity and inconsistency of the available results together with the relatively low prevalence of HPV infection requires extensive research with much larger studies and exact and unified diagnostic methods are required to better understand the role of the HPV in breast carcinogenesis.