Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The incidence of cancer of the uterine cervix has increased in recent years, particularly among younger women. This has coincided with changing social patterns of greater sexual freedom and the use of oral contraceptives. This suggests that sexually transmissible diseases may cause this type of cancer. It is also observed that some cancers usually follow sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea.

Viruses

Some viruses can also cause cancer. Several cases of cancers in animals and birds have been attributed to viruses. Latest scientific studies have established that Leukemia and Hodgkin’s disease

Chronic Depression in the Elderly

Chronic depression in the elderly can also lead to the development of cancer. According to a recent study conducted by Dr. Richard J.Havlik, of the National Institute of Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, and his associates, elderly persons who are chronically depressed for at least six years have 88 per cent higher risk of cancer than those who are not depressed. The authors of this study have noted that the previous researches found links between depression and cancer, mainly in smokers. But in this study, the “excess risk of cancer associated with chronic depression was consistent for most types of cancer and was not especially related to cigarette smokers”.

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