A report made public by the main British institution in oncological research matters, Research Cancer , elaborated by professor Alan Rickinson, of Birmingham University (in the United Kingdom), calculates that there is more than 1.8 million cancers every year anywhere in the world related to some virus, and although he emphasizes that cancer is not contagious , it is considered that these infectious pathogens could be the triggers of the process in many cases.

Among the most known he emphasizes uterine cancer, related to the infection by Papiloma virus; liver cancer, by hepatitis B virus, nasopharyngeal or certain forms of leukemia's and lymphomas. "To study the relation between infectious agents and cancer it is extremely important because in these cases, the infection represents a direct bond in the chain of events that end with a cancer ".

And although they insist on that not all infected people will develop cancer, the calculations indicate that 18% of all new cases every year are bound to some infectious process . About 25% of tumors in the western world, he said, could be prevented with a suitable impulse in the field of vaccines.

The most predominant form -without a doubt- is the one that concerns cervix cancer, whose immunization could avoid, according to the most optimistic forecasts up to 70% of the cases.

Although the most recent studies augur to the recently approved vaccine against the human Papiloma virus, responsible for these tumors, effectiveness of close to 100%, Doctor Anne Szarewski, member of Cancer Research, has remembered that there is still work left to do. "It still will be necessary to determine how long does the protection -that this vaccine confers- last, and if there are necessary memory doses along women's lifetime", indicates, or which will be its price in the poor countries -those that would benefit more from their action.

Also developed is a vaccine against the Hepatitis B virus, related to the appearance of hepatic tumors. This type of cancer causes no less than 340.000 new cases a year around the world and it is estimated than no less than half of them are caused by the virus.

Although the authors of this document reiterate that the cancer is not an infectious or contagious disease, "such as a cold", they do augur that soon the arsenal of available vaccines will extend in order to prevent certain leading infections which trigger tumors.