© AP GRAPHICA new study shows a link between prostate cancer and a retrovirus known as XMVR.
A retrovirus known to cause leukemia and cancerous tumors in animals has for the first time been found in malignant prostate cells -- raising the intriguing question of its role in prostate cancer.
The retrovirus -- called Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus, or XMRV -- was found in 27 percent of prostate cancers, compared to 6 percent of benign tissues examined by University of Utah and Columbia University researchers.
It also was associated with more aggressive kinds of tumors.
"We're not saying this virus causes cancer," said Ila R. Singh, associate professor of pathology at the U. and the senior author of a study published online Monday in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The best we can say is it is associated with prostate cancer."