Kissing & Risk of Rare Cancer

According to Danish researchers, young adults who get mononucleosis, the "kissing disease," have more than double the risk of developing a rare type of cancer.

Doctors have long suspected a link between mononucleosis and Hodgkin's disease, a highly treatable cancer of the lymph system. But the role played by the common virus that causes mono was uncertain. The virus, Epstein-Barr, is found in about one-third of Hodgkin's tumors.

In a study of over 63,000 young adults suspected of having mono, the researchers found that those who got mono had a higher-than-average chance of getting Hodgkin's, and the risk lasted for two decades. There was no increased risk for those who did not have mono.

The researchers stressed that Hodgkin's disease, also known as Hodgkin's lymphoma, is uncommon. About one in 1,000 of young adults with mono will get the cancer, they said.

"Only in rare circumstances will this lead to the development of Hodgkin's lymphoma. So there's no reason for any panic," said Dr. Mads Melbye, one of the researchers at Statens Serum Institut, the Danish equivalent of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study is reported in New England Journal of Medicine, October 2 issue.

Hodgkin's accounts for less than 1 percent of cancer in the United States, and is most common in those ages 15 to 34 and those over 55. According to the American Cancer Society, about 7,600 new cases will be diagnosed this year.

Most everyone is infected at some point with the Epstein-Barr virus, which is spread through saliva, and the virus remains dormant for life. In children, there are usually few or no symptoms from the infection. But when exposure first occurs in adolescence or later, it can cause mono. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, swollen glands and fatigue.

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Khorsheed.com – Oct 2003