Association Between Schistosomiasis and Cancer A Review

Schistosomiasis is the second most common parasitic infection of humans in the world after malaria, and approximately 250 million people are infected globally in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and South America. The aim of this review is to review the evidence of an association between schistosomiasis and neoplasia. Literature evidences that Schistosoma haematobium, the predominant etiologic agent for urinary schistosomiasis, is correlated to squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Some case reports provide evidence of a possible correlation of S. haematobium with other malignant neoplasms, as verrucous carcinoma of the bladder and prostatic adenocarcinoma, but these data must be confirmed by ulterior studies. There is limited evidence suggesting that Schistosoma japonicum is possibly carcinogenic to humans, leading to colorectal cancer, and is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma formation. The available literature provides indirect evidence of an association between Schistosoma mansoni and hepatocellular carcinoma, possibly through potentiation of hepatitis B and C infections.