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Lung cancer

Lung cancer is cancer that starts in your lungs.

Most of these are viruses that stay in your body for a long time, even after symptoms have been treated. When a virus gets into your body, it uses your cells to make copies of itself. It does that by making changes to the cell itself. These changes can make the cells more likely to become cancerous. Different viruses can infect and then cause cancer in different parts of your body.

Here are viruses that can lead to cancer:

  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – a common virus that can spread easily through spit. It can cause an illness called mono (mononucleosis) that is common in teenagers and young adults.

    • ​It can cause post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD)​

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) – a virus that can spread through blood or sex and cause hepatitis B, a liver disease.

    • It can cause liver cancer

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) – a virus that can spread through blood contact and cause hepatitis C, a liver disease.

    • It can cause liver cancer

  • Human papilloma virus (HPV) – a large group of viruses that can be spread through sex.

    • Some types of HPV can cause:

      • Anal cancer​

      • Cervical cancer

      • Oral (mouth and throat) cancer

      • Penile cancer

      • Vaginal cancer

      • Vulvar cancer

  • HHV-8 – a type of Herpes virus that can be spread through sex, blood, or spit and causes a life-long infection.

    • It can cause Kaposi sarcoma. This is a rare type of cancer that causes cancerous spots on your skin and in the tissue that lines your digestive system.​

There are vaccines for hepatitis B and the types of HPV that cause cancer. These vaccines only work if a person gets them before they are infected with the virus

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