Rapid-onset cancer

Abstract

Human cancers are generally thought to develop over the course of decades. Such slow progression is well documented for a variety of cancers that we designate "slow-onset" cancers. "Rapid-onset" cancers, in contrast, can develop in a matter of months in humans or in as little as 9 days in mice. These cancers often develop under conditions that might be expected to accelerate cancer development: early development, immune deficiency, or viral infection. We will discuss rapid-onset cancers in the context of the "hallmarks of cancer" - properties cells must acquire in order to become malignant - focusing on how viruses are particularly well suited to causing rapid-onset cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Carcinogenesis; Congenital; Onset; Rapid; Slow; Virus.

Figure

Time as a factor in acquiring the classic hallmarks of cancer in multi-step colorectal cancer relative to virally induced cancer. Left: Colorectal cancer develops over time, with mutations acquired in multiple steps [10,[16], [17], [18], [19]]. Each concentric central circle represents a critical genetic change, with larger circles representing later changes. The "Time" axis is shown as a dotted blue line. Right: The central circle represents multiple genetic changes that occur simultaneously with papillomavirus infection. High-risk human papillomaviruses such as HPV 16 express multiple oncogenic proteins – E5, E6, and E7 – soon after infection. Each of these proteins affects one or more hallmarks of cancer [22,23].