Overview of infectious causes of human cancers

Abstract

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that almost each person is infected at least one potentially cancer-causing organism; however, only a small proportion of infected individual develops cancer. In this review, to elucidate the potential role of infectious organisms in the development and progression of human cancers, we summarize the previous history and current understandings of infection-associated cancers and highlight the common molecular mechanisms of cancers caused by infectious agents and their potential cofactors, which may bring us to effectively prevent and reduce the infection-associated cancers in the future.