This article is about the ability of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to change the inner workings of the cells to promote cancer formation.
It is known that some viruses can cause cancer. Some viruses can control an infected person’s genes, resulting in unrestricted cell proliferation leading to cancer.
Tumor Viruses and cancers
- Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) – Kaposi’s Sarcoma, Primary exudative lymphoma, Body cavity-based lymphoma, multiple myeloma, angiosarcoma, malignant skin tumors, and squamous cell carcinoma
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) – Cervical cancer, anal cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, penile cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) – Liver cancer
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – nasopharyngeal cancer, nasal NK/T cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and gastric cancer
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) – Glioblastoma multiforme, breast cancer, Epithelial ovarian cancer, colon and prostate cancer
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – Kaposi’s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cervical, anal, liver, oral cavity, throat, and lung cancer.
- Human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) – Adult T-cell leukemia
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) – Liver cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Carcinogenic effects of the SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2 may hasten tumor progression by changing the metabolic pathways to be conducive to the formation of cancer cells.
Kim et al. demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 could infect and change cellular activities in a human colon epithelial carcinoma cell line.
Icard et al. found that when cells are infected with SARS-CoV-2, they change their metabolism and become highly glycolytic to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 replication.
Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that uses glucose as the primary source to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATPs are the energy sources for cellular functions.
For the SARS-CoV-2, the more glucose, the more fuel for viral replication, and the worse the COVID-19.
That is why high blood sugars or glucose, like those with uncontrolled diabetes, are at risk for severe COVID-19.
In another research by Codo et al., SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the Warburg effect to produce blood vessel constriction, micro clot formation, and inflammation. Those disease conditions contribute to causing severe COVID-19.
The Warburg effect is the metabolic pathway used by cancer cells to produce energy. Therefore the Warburg effect, which is responsible for causing severe COVID-19, is the same metabolic pathway favorable to cancer cell proliferation.
Knowing these studies, a pertinent question arises.
Does a COVID-19 infection increase the chance of getting cancer?
I did not find any data to answer that question, but I found something close. Cancer as a prospective sequela of long COVID-19 was published in Bioessays by Saini and Aneja from Georgia State University.
Long COVID is when the COVID symptoms persist beyond four weeks to months. It happens in 1.5 to 2% of COVID-19 survivors.
They propose that long COVID‐19 may predispose recovered patients to cancer development and accelerate cancer progression. They report,
This hypothesis is based on growing evidence of the ability of SARS‐CoV‐2 to modulate oncogenic pathways, promote chronic low‐grade inflammation, and cause tissue damage.[2]
One of the papers they cited is by Singh and Singh, who found that the S2 subunit of the spike protein interacts with the tumor suppressor proteins p53 and BRCA.
The p53 and BRCA genes repair damaged DNA and prevent cancer formation. I talked about them and the spike proteins in;
Study: SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins Impaired DNA Repair That Can Lead to Defective Immunity and Cancers
I will keep an eye out for any research if cancer rates increase among those who have COVID-19.
Can the mRNA shots cause cancer?
In one of the interviews by Greg Hunter on USAWatchDog.com, one of his guests, I think it may be Dr. Pierre Kory or Karen Kingston, said that if institutions (government, pharmaceutical industry, or educational) don’t want to know the answer, then that study will not get funded.
However, the courageous Dr. Ryan Cole, a pathologist, has seen higher numbers of cancers among those who had COVID-19 shots. That seems possible because the body produces the most active component of SARS-CoV-2, which is the spike protein, after the mRNA shots.
Could the higher cancer rates be secondary to the shots and COVID-19?
In 2019, before the pandemic, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 cancer deaths in the United States.
For 2022, the (ACS) estimates there will be 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed and 609,360 cancer deaths in the United States.
Don’t Get Sick!
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References:
- Li YS, Ren HC, Cao JH. Correlation of SARS‑CoV‑2 to cancer: Carcinogenic or anticancer? (Review). Int J Oncol. 2022 Apr;60(4):42. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5332. Epub 2022 Mar 2. PMID: 35234272; PMCID: PMC8923649.
- Saini G, Aneja R. Cancer as a prospective sequela of long COVID-19. Bioessays. 2021 Jun;43(6):e2000331. doi: 10.1002/bies.202000331. Epub 2021 Apr 29. PMID: 33914346; PMCID: PMC8206711.
- Singh, N., & Bharara Singh, A. (2020). S2 subunit of SARS‐nCoV‐2 interacts with tumor suppressor protein p53 and BRCA: An in silico study. Translational Oncology, 13(10), 100814.
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