Human papillomavirus in breast carcinogenesis: a passenger, a cofactor, or a causal agent?

Abstract

Simple Summary Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent tumor in women worldwide. A minority of BC patients have a family history of the disease, suggesting the importance of environmental and lifestyle factors. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been detected in a subset of tumors, suggesting a potential role in BC. In this review, we summarized relevant information in respect to this topic and we propose a model of HPV-mediated breast carcinogenesis. Evidence suggests that breast tissue is accessible to HPV, which may be a causal agent of BC in a subset of cases. Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women worldwide as well as the leading cause of cancer-related death in this gender. Studies have identified that human papillomavirus (HPV) is a potential risk factor for BC development. While vaccines that protect against oncogenic HPVs infection have been commercially available, global disparities persist due to their high cost. Interestingly, numerous authors have detected an increased high risk (HR)-HPV infection in BC specimens when compared with non-tumor tissues. Therefore, it was suggested that HR-HPV infection could play a role in breast carcinogenesis in a subset of cases. Additional epidemiological and experimental evidence is still needed regarding the role of HR-HPV infection in the development and progression of BC.