Editorial

Is Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus an Etiologic Agent of Human Breast Cancer and Lymphoma?

Authors: Peter H. Wiernik, MD, Polly R. Etkind, PHD

Abstract

In this issue of the Journal, Quilon et al present a patient with synchronous invasive breast cancer and low-grade lymphoma. There was no evidence of lymphoma outside the breast, and the two neoplasms demonstrated collision histology. The question is whether their case simply represents a chance unusual occurrence, whether the two tumors may have a common etiology, or whether one neoplasm gave rise to the other in some unknown fashion. One possibility is that the lymphoma began as an immunologic reaction to the breast cancer. It is well known that many neoplasms have a better prognosis when accompanied by a non-neoplastic lymphoid infiltration. On the other hand, there is precedent for adenocarcinoma and low-grade lymphoma in the same organ (stomach) being caused by the same infectious organism (Helicobacter pylori).

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