The public attitude towards cancer has undergone a clearly recognisable change: increasing support for the view that cancer is basically curable and that cancer prevention in principle is possible exists. Some basic concepts of cancer research are outlined in this article. The description of the role of viruses in specific human cancers is one focal point. Today about 15% of human tumours can be related to virus infections world-wide. The analysis of widespread human tumour viruses and their interaction with carcinogenic chemical and physical factors has produced a new concept of carcinogenesis. Earlier ideas about carcinogenesis may be reconciled with new results with relative ease.
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