Cancer is one of the causes responsible for the most deaths worldwide; in 2020, for example, it resulted in ten million deaths. It has been estimated that micro-organism infections caused between 13-18% of these cases. Until now, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified thirteen micro-organisms as carcinogenic, which include viruses, bacteria and parasites. However, recent studies have shown that there are other micro-organism types linked to cancer; some of them are fungi.
The Candida albicans fungus is one of them: “This fungus is part of the human microbiota; it is found in the mouth, on the skin, in the digestive system and vagina; although it usually does not cause disease, it sometimes causes serious problems,” explained Leire Aparicio Fernández, researcher and lecturer…