Although smoking is the biggest culprit in the development of lung cancer, recent studies have shown that other factors, like common viruses, may affect a person’s likelihood of developing the disease. This finding was a major topic of discussion at the first European Lung Cancer Conference held recently in Geneva, Switzerland.

In one report presented at the conference, Dr. Arash Rezazdeh and his colleagues from the University Of Louisville, Kentucky described the results of a study on 23 lung cancer samples from patients in Kentucky. The researchers found six samples that tested positive for the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is also the virus associated with cervical cancer. Researchers believe this may indicate that HPV contributes to the development of small cell lung cancer.

Another study conducted by Israeli researchers suggested that the measles virus may also be a factor in some lung cancers. Their study included 65 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, of whom more than half had evidence of measles virus in their tissue samples. Scientists will conduct additional studies to help further define the possible relationship between common viruses and lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among both men and women. It claims more lives each year than colon, prostate, lymph and breast cancer combined. The probability of developing lung cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes a person smokes.

Source: European Society for Medical Oncology