• Latest from the lab
  • A little bit of history
  • How cells work
  • When cells go wrong
    • Cancer causes
    • Things we do can lead to cancer
    • Infection
    • Inheriting faulty genes
    • Working with hazardous chemicals
  • Finding and treating cancer
• Games and puzzles
• Science events and competitions
• Careers ideas
• Teachers' resources
• What is Cancer Research UK?
• FAQS
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Infection

Sometimes DNA damage is caused by an infection with a virus. A virus causes disease by inserting its DNA into the DNA of the person that it has infected. Viruses cause a whole range of diseases from the common cold to AIDS.

• A virus called HPV causes cervical cancer. It is passed on by having sex with an infected person.
• Cancer in some young children, especially those living in Africa, is caused by a virus called Epstein Barr Virus, or EBV.
• The Hepatitis B virus can cause liver cancer.
• People with AIDS are more likely to get some types of cancer.

Sometimes infection can be caused by a bacterium. Most cases of stomach cancer are caused by infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. The infection can cause cell changes that may lead to cancer.