Bovine Leukemia Virus Of Cattle Is Connected With Breast Cancer In Humans: Study Suggests

Overview

• Post By : Kumar Jeetendra


• Source: University of California Berkeley


• Date: 16 Sep,2015

Researcher from University of California – Berkeley confirmed the link between bovine leukemia virus of cattle and breast cancer in humans, Study published in published this month in the journal PLOS ONE.

Confirming this link doubt will support better treatment of breast cancer one of deadly cancer if not treated properly, Scientists from University of California pick the breast tissue and examine over 239 women compare with diseased women and women who is free from disease for presence of BLV,(Bovine leukemia Virus).As a result about 59 % of women with breast confirmed the exposure to BLV.

According to Researcher:

"The association between BLV infection and breast cancer was surprising to many previous reviewers of the study, but it's important to note that our results do not prove that the virus causes cancer," said by Gertrude Buehring, a professor of virology in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health.

BLV is a type of retrovirus and infects cattle and mostly transmitted through blood and milk.

"If BLV were proven to be a cause of breast cancer, it could change the way we currently look at breast cancer control," said Buehring. "It could shift the emphasis to prevention of breast cancer, rather than trying to cure or control it after it has already occurred."

According to Buehring, the study fails to identify how BLV infects breast tissue, but the virus could enter through consumption of unpasteurized milk.

Note: the above story is for information purposes for more information go through original story source, written by : Sarah Yang, UC Berkeley.

Journal reference

Gertrude Case Buehring, Hua Min Shen, Hanne M. Jensen, Diana L. Jin, Mark Hudes, Gladys Block. Exposure to Bovine Leukemia Virus Is Associated with Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study. PLOS ONE, 2015; 10 (9): e0134304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134304