Can an infection cause cancer?

I recently read that around one in eight cancers worldwide is caused by an infection. We hear so much about diet, exercise and smoking when discussing cancer prevention. Infections deserve a place in that conversation too.

The encouraging part is that we already have ways to prevent or treat several of these infections.

Which infections are we talking about?

Some of the main ones are:

• HPV: persistent infection with certain high-risk types can cause cervical cancer and some throat, anal and genital cancers.
• Hepatitis B and C: chronic infections can cause liver cancer.
• Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori: a bacterium that lives in the stomach and can cause stomach cancer.

How does an infection lead to cancer?

Usually, this happens over years. Some infections cause ongoing inflammation and damage. Others interfere with the controls that keep our cells growing normally.

Having an infection does not mean you will develop cancer. Most infected people do not. But identifying an infection gives us an opportunity to reduce the risk.

What can we do?

• Check your vaccinations. Ask whether you are eligible for HPV or hepatitis B vaccination.
• Attend cervical screening when invited, even if you have had the HPV vaccine.
• Ask about testing if you think you may have been exposed or have symptoms that concern you. Some infections can be present without obvious symptoms; the right tests depend on your circumstances.
• Follow through with treatment and monitoring if an infection is diagnosed.

Treatment varies. H. pylori can be treated with antibiotics, hepatitis C can often be cured, and hepatitis B can be managed with treatment when needed. There is no medicine that clears HPV itself, but cervical changes caused by it can be monitored or treated.

I wanted to share this because it is easy to put off an appointment when we feel well. If you have been meaning to attend screening, ask about a vaccine or follow up a test result, let this be a gentle reminder. These small steps can matter to our future health.