> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Breast cancer news: Breast milk may spread viruses that cause breast cancer - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/breast_milk_viruses_breast_cancer_1028121028/ - Published: 2012-10-28T17:40:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T15:55:32.000Z - Description: A study by W.K. Glenn and colleagues in BMC Research Notes found high-risk HPV and Epstein-Barr virus in human breast milk, raising the prospect of passing them to babies. An editor's note stresses breastfeeding's benefits outweigh its risks and that the HPV link is unsubstantiated. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Disease, Health News, Breast Cancer, Breast Milk, HPV, #vivvo-import *Editor's note: One reader e-mailed us a "complaint" that the article below is very unbalanced regarding risks and benefits of breast milk. Although this article does not review everything about breast milk and no balanced view is intended, we do want to remind readers that breastfeeding/breast milk provides more benefits than risks to both the baby and the mother. In any case, the risk from HPV in milk has not been substantiated. Just because of presence of HPV does not mean HPV definitely raises the risk of breast cancer. And even if it does, the the increase may be very small compared with other risk factors such as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, vitamin D deficiency, mental/social stress, metabolic syndrome, and exposure to medical radiation and hormone therapy.* By David Liu, PHD **Breast milk and HPV** Sunday Oct 28, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- We all know that faulty genetics is partially responsible for breast cancer in a family. But faulty genetics is not the sole risk factor for breast cancer that spreads from a mother to her daughter(s). Studies suggest that viruses that cause or increase risk of breast cancer can spread from one generation to another through breast milk. Dr. W.K. Glenn and colleagues published a study in BMC Research Notes that had found high risk human papillomavirus and Epstein Barr virus in human breast milk and babies drinking the virus-loaded milk may contract the cancer-causing viruses. The authors reported that multiple viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and mouse mammary tumour virus have already been identified in human milk and high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) sequences have already been identified in breast cancer tissue. Apparently, baby girls who drink milk from their infected mothers may get infected with the viruses. But the current study has found these viruses may also be present in human milk from normal lactating women who had no history of breast cancer. The researchers found high risk HPV in 15% of milk samples from normal lactating Australian women. Four samples were sequenced and HPV 16 was found in three samples and HPV 18 was found in one sample. Epstein Barr virus was detected in 33% of breast milk samples. The researchers concluded "The presence of high risk HPV and EBV in human milk suggests the possibility of milk transmission of these viruses. However, given the rarity of viral associated malignancies in young people, it is possible but unlikely, that such transmission is associated with breast or other cancers." Although HPV was found in non-cancerous tissue, HPV was also found in breast cancer tissue, suggesting that these viruses may play a role in the development of certain cases of breast cancer. **HPV and breast cancer** Chinese researchers published a study in Journal of International Medical Research saying that they found HPV in breast cancer tissue, but not in healthy breast tissue from women with breast cancer and women without the disease. X. Mou at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China and colleagues tested tumor and non-cancerous breast tissue samples from 62 women with breast cancer and normal breast tissue samples from 46 women without the disease and found HPV DNA in 6.5% of tumor breast tissue samples, but not in any non-cancerous breast tissue samples. Similar to the study by Dr. W.K. Glenn, Xou's study also found 75% viruses were HPV 16 and 25% were HPV 18, both considered high risk of HPV. The Chinese researchers said the findings suggest that HPV viruses may play only a small role in the development of breast cancer. However, it should be noted that the rate of HPV detected in breast cancer tissue samples varies by region or population. This means the risk of breast cancer induced by the HPV infection may vary from one group of women to another. A. Antonsson at University of Queensland in Queensland, Australia and colleagues reported a study in Journal of Medical Virology saying that they found HPV in 50% of the breast tumor tissue samples and all HPV were HPV 18 type. But this 50% may not be applicable to all patients because the study only examined 54 breast tumor samples, which was relatively small in size. The authors also found HPV more likely found in the breast cancer tissue from younger women, but no association was found for menopausal status or family history. The tumors with HPV tended to be smaller and had an earlier stage and those without HPV tended to be more advanced. Some studies conducted in Northwest China, India and others did not find any association between HPV viruses and risk of breast cancer. One possible reason is that in those countries or region, HPV is less commonly found in women in the first place. HPV can be more likely a breast cancer risk in the U.S. because an overwhelming majority of men and women would acquire HPV in their lifetime. The virus is generally cleared in one or two years of infection in healthy people without any medical intervention and would not cause any persistent effect. This infection is the major risk factor for cervical cancer although it can also cause other types of cancer such as skin cancer and throat cancer among others. The important thing to do is avoid getting infected. HPV spreads mainly through sexual contact. Having a one-on-one relationship or using protection during sexual contact can help reduce the odds of getting infected. Another thing to do is take immunity-boosting supplements such as vitamin C and vitamin D, both are known to help immunity so if a person gets infected, he or she can clear the viruses quickly and prevent any cancer-causing damage.