Newly Released Book Provides Overview of Infections and Cancer
With his book entitled “Infections Causing Human Cancer”, Professor Harald zur Hausen, former Chairman of the Management Board and Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), presents a comprehensive overview of the links between infections and cancer. The book comprising more than 500 pages covers everything from the historical identification of cancer-causing infectious agents to future prospects suggesting that infections are directly and indirectly involved in further human cancers.
Zur Hausen is regarded as a sage in the area of infection-related cancers, since he once postulated, against the prevailing scientific opinion, and subsequently proved that there is a connection between viruses and specific cancers. Over 35 years ago, he and his co-workers detected DNA of the Epstein-Barr virus in tissue of Burkitt’s lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A few years later zur Hausen identified specific types of the human papillomavirus family in tissue samples of cervical cancer and proved that these viruses are the sole cause of the second most frequent cancer in women. These findings provided the foundation for the first ever vaccine developed specifically to prevent a specific type of cancer, which is expected to be launched on the market in Germany before the end of this year.
In his new book, zur Hausen first outlines the story of the early frustrations and later scientific successes relating to the proof of the virus-cancer causality that opened up radically new prospects in the prevention and treatment of tumors. Each virus family that is directly or indirectly linked to cancer today is presented in a separate chapter by zur Hausen. The virologist highlights all aspects of the relationship between viruses and tumors from the molecular-biological foundations through to epidemiology. Further chapters deal with viruses that are so far only suspected to play a role in cancer as well as tumors with a possible infectious etiology.
Professor James Fox and collaborators of Harvard University contributed a chapter on the connection between the Helicobacter pylori bacterium and cancer. The collection of infectious agents is completed by a chapter on parasites and human cancers written by zur Hausen again.
An outstanding feature of the book is the consistent structure of the individual chapters, which qualifies it as a homogeneous work by a single author. The book provides an extremely valuable and instructive reference for oncologists, microbiologists and molecular biologists working in the field of infections and cancer.
Harald zur Hausen: “Infections Causing Human Cancer”
Wiley-VCH, ISBN: 3-527-31056-8,
517 pages, hardcover, in English
Retail price: 149,00 €
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
