Epidemiology of the association between bacterial infections and cancer

Abstract

The role of infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. has been of interest for many years. Many studies have linked chronic bacterial infection with subsequent development of cancer at a number of different sites in the body. Most cancers have a multifactorial aetiology with a number of different steps between the normal and the malignant cell. One example of this is stomach cancer where it has been postulated that bacteria play a role at a number of stages but will also be true of cancers at other sites. This chapter summarises those situations where cancers occur as a possible result of bacterial infection and covers oesophageal, stomach, colorectal, gallbladder, pancreatic, bladder and lung cancer.