Wirus Epsteina-Barr w wybranych chorobach nowotworowych

Viral infections contribute to many cancers worldwide and represent a significant percentage of deaths. Oncogenic viruses include the Epstein-Barr virus, which is the main cause of infectious mononucleosis and exhibits tropism towards B lymphocytes. Due to the presence of genes responsible for latency, it can contribute to many pathological conditions. Examples of this are high-fatal malignancies located in the stomach as well as in the head and neck. Moreover, this virus poses a serious threat to immunocompromised people, which is a significant problem nowadays due to the increasing number of patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. Particular attention in this case is lymphoproliferative disorders after transplantation, which are a malignant neoplasm associated with EBV infection. This review focuses on the role of the Epstein-Barr virus in selected cancers.