New Research Suggests An Alarming Relationship Between COVID, Flu And Breast Cancer

“Respiratory viruses are like a strong wind that reignites the flame."

Why some cancers recur after years of dormancy is a question scientists have been racing to answer. Past evidence suggests that stress, chronic inflammation and hormonal changes may reawaken sleeping cancer cells.

Now, in the case of breast cancer, new research published in the medical journal ”Nature” suggests that common respiratory viruses, like the flu and COVID, can reactivate dormant cancer cells in the lungs and lead to metastatic disease within a couple of weeks. But it may not be the actual viruses themselves that stir up cancer cells, but rather our immune responses.

Dr. Karishma Kollipara, a breast surgeon at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital, says the report shows that symptoms on the surface aren’t the only threat. “These findings underscore the importance of vaccination and preventative strategies in patients with cancer, particularly in those with a history of metastatic disease,” Kollipara told HuffPost.

Cancer cells became active in response to viral infections.

During the pandemic, scientists noticed an uptick in death and metastatic lung disease among breast cancer survivors who had been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.