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Scientists have discovered that a virus may be involved in the development of some cases of prostate cancer. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may offer ways to better identify dangerous prostate tumours and vaccines to treat or prevent prostate cancer.

Researchers at the University of Utah analysed tissue samples from more than 200 human prostate cancers and a further 100 samples from healthy prostate tissue.

They found that 27 percent of cancer samples contained a virus called xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV), compared with just six per cent of healthy tissue samples.

The virus has previously been shown to cause leukaemia and sarcomas in animals.

'"We still don't know that this virus causes cancer in people, but that is an important question we're going to investigate," says Dr Ila Singh, Senior author at the University of Utah. 

If the virus is found to contribute to the development of prostate cancer, the discovery could pave the way for a vaccine to protect against the disease. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide after lung cancer.