A growing body of research suggests that the Covid-19 virus may have long-term health consequences extending far beyond the initial infection, potentially increasing the risk of developing cancer. This emerging concern has been highlighted by Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, a prominent cancer researcher and physician, who warns that Covid could act as an 'oncogenic virus,' provoking a "second pandemic" of cancer with effects lasting for decades.
Dr Soon-Shiong has been vocal about the long-term dangers of Covid for several years, and recent research from institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) appears to support his concerns. According to a new preprint study funded by the NIH, Covid-19 may disrupt critical genes by reducing methylation, a process that normally silences genes. Without this regulatory mechanism, certain genes become overactive, potentially leading to increased inflammation and other cellular imbalances that promote cancer development.
The researchers analysed blood samples from 96 participants, including those experiencing Long Covid symptoms and individuals who had recovered from Covid, compared with healthy controls who had never contracted the virus. The study found that several genes associated with oncogenesis showed decreased methylation in individuals post-Covid infection. The authors note that this epigenetic change could lead to tumour growth within months following the infection. Additionally, Covid proteins persisting in the body were observed to degrade key tumour-suppressing proteins, such as p53, described by Dr Soon-Shiong as “one of the most important tumour suppressor proteins.” Suppression of p53 removes a crucial defence against the formation of malignant cells.
Covid’s spike proteins have been found to bind to ACE2 receptors present throughout the body. This interaction not only allows viral entry into cells but also appears to provoke widespread inflammation and weaken the immune system’s ability to eliminate abnormal or cancerous cells. Dr Soon-Shiong has highlighted that organs rich in ACE2 receptors, like the pancreas and colon, could be particularly vulnerable to cancers promoted by this mechanism. Research from the UK corroborates these findings, indicating that spike proteins can reactivate dormant cancer cells, potentially accelerating the growth of breast, stomach, and blood cancers. A 2024 study involving mice further demonstrated that Covid infection led to multiplication and spread of cancer cells to the lungs.
Statistics point to a worrying trend in cancer incidence among younger populations. Dr Soon-Shiong notes that cancers such as colon, pancreatic, and liver cancers have surged most dramatically among those born after 1980 — individuals under 50 — a phenomenon that had puzzled experts prior to the possible Covid link. Early-onset colon cancer diagnoses are projected to increase by 90% in 20 to 34 year olds from 2010 to 2030, with teenage cases having increased by 500% since the early 2000s. Breast cancer rates have also risen, particularly among women under 40, with recent data showing 13,000 diagnoses annually in this age group out of approximately 310,000 total cases.
Dr Soon-Shiong expressed his concerns on the social media platform X, saying: “My greatest fear was that this hypothesis could be correct and could COVID act like cancer with clinical phases of progression and which would mean a catastrophic non-infectious pandemic of cancer on a global scale in the decades to come.” He emphasised the importance of recognising these findings by stating, “The scientists involved in this study include members from the NIH, NIAID, biologists, academia, and physicians. Their work must be taken seriously.”
The potential scope of this issue is substantial. With an estimated 77% of Americans—nearly 247 million people—having been infected with Covid, the prospective rise in cancer cases could be significant. In 2022, there were about 20 million new cancer diagnoses globally, projected to exceed 35 million by 2050, according to cancer researchers. The National Cancer Institute reported around 461 cancer cases per 100,000 people in the US, while incidence rates among men remain higher than among women.
While the research is still in early stages and based on preprints not yet peer-reviewed, and factors such as obesity and diet remain important contributors to cancer risk, this new data indicates that Covid’s effects on the immune system and genetic regulation could add an additional dimension to cancer epidemiology. Researchers have suggested that Covid establishes an "oncogenic environment" through chronic inflammation, immune suppression, and stress.
Dr Soon-Shiong also cited a 2021 study from Georgia State University that suggested Long Covid might predispose recovered individuals to cancer development and hasten progression, although the exact increased risk remains unclear. He called for expanded scientific investigation, saying: “We have an opportunity to lead and find a solution. We must and we will.”
As cancer diagnoses continue to increase among younger populations and evidence of Covid’s lasting biological effects accumulates, medical researchers and healthcare systems are tasked with addressing this potentially profound public health challenge in the years to come.
Source: Noah Wire Services