Reflections on viruses and cancer

In recent years human and animal cancers have increasingly been shown to have a viral component in their aetiology. Oncogenic viruses will continue to be discovered although with certain cancers there is also an important environmental component, and with others — congenital cancers and cancers of early childhood — an important genetic component. There is thus the probability that cancer may not be an entity. Rather it may be a syndrome, the phenotypic expression of alteration of cellular metabolism, differentiation and cell death. More information is needed on the mathematics of cell division and destruction,in vivo andin vitro, and the involvement of biological clocks, i.e. ageing processes. These data, when available, should help us to understand better the nature of cancer and lead us to more effective methods of prevention and cure.Abbreviations AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - ALV avian leukosis virus - COFAL complement-fixation test for avian leukosis viruses - FeLV feline leukaemia virus - kb kilobases - L/S viruses leukosis/sarcoma viruses - MMTV mouse mammary tumour virus - MuLV mouse leukaemia virus - wt wild type