Study Finds Virus XMRV Linked to Prostate Cancer

XMRV, xenotropic murine leukemia, is a retrovirus that was discovered only three years ago. It actually alters the DNA of the cells in infests which is thought to believe can create cancer or allow the cell to turn cancerous. It is known to cause cancers such as leukemia in animals.

In the study just released, XMRV was found to be the most aggressive prostate tumors in the study. More studies will have to occur to determine if the virus is actually a cause of prostate cancer. The study does provide hope that a vaccine may be able to be developed to cure or prevent prostate cancer.

There is also hope that with the virus XMRV being linked to prostate cancer that the doctors could better determine which men truly need treatment for their prostate tumors. Another recent study showed that around 1 million men have been treated for prostate cancer over the past two decades that actually did not need to be.

Just behind lung cancer, prostate cancer is the second leading cancer that kills men. Each year around 254,000 men die from prostate cancer. In the US 27,000 men will die this year and another 190,000 will be diagnosis with prostate cancer.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month. This study that shows the virus XMRV link to prostate cancer gives hope to the thousands of men that are currently battling prostate cancer. It also gives hope to all of those that have yet to be diagnosis that a better form of treatment may be in the near future.