Can Malassezia cause cancer?

“We have long known that Malassezia fungi — generally found on the skin and scalp — are responsible for dandruff and some forms of eczema, but recent studies have also linked them to skin and colorectal cancer,” study senior co-author Deepak Saxena noted in the news release.

What disease does blastomyces Dermatitidis cause?

Blastomycosis is a rare infectious disease caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. This fungus grows and is inhaled through mold spores. In the body the fungus converts to yeasts and invades the lungs.

Can mold cause pancreatic cancer?

A new study shows fungi may also play a role in pancreatic cancer. Researchers found fungi can make its way into the pancreas, and in both mice and humans with pancreatic cancer, the fungi can multiply 3,000-fold compared to normal pancreatic tissue.

Is there a link between fungus and cancer?

Despite an overwhelming lack of evidence that cancer is a fungus, the two are still connected. Having cancer may make some individuals more vulnerable to fungal infections. But having cancer doesn’t mean you will have a fungal infection, just as having a fungal infection doesn’t mean you will have cancer.

Is cancer a fungus or a virus?

Just to be clear, right up front: Cancer is not a fungus. It is the uncontrolled division of abnormal human cells within the body.

How can you protect yourself from blastomycosis?

Simple precautions include wearing work gloves, proper footwear, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and a disposable NIOSH N100 approved HEPA filter dust mask. The symptoms of blastomycosis can be similar to those of influenza or pneumonia.

What kind of cancer does mold cause?

Aspergillus. Some types of this mold make aflatoxins, which can make you very sick, even causing liver cancer. Typically, that’s from eating it, not breathing it in. It grows on food, like corn, peanuts, and even coffee beans.

Where is Blastomyces dermatitidis most commonly found?

The organism that causes this disease (Blastomyces dermatitidis) is most common (endemic) in the south central and southeastern portions of the United States. It may also be found around the perimeter of the Great Lakes, and along the St. Lawrence River in Canada.

Where does the fungus Blastomycosis come from?

Blastomycosis is a disease caused by breathing in a fungus named Blastomyces dermatidis. This fungus is found in moist soil of rotting plants or wood. Blastomyces dermatidis is found in central and southeastern United States (the darkened area on the map, right) and parts of Canada.

What kind of skin lesions do you get with blastomycosis?

Involvement of the skin is very common in individuals with Blastomycosis. Wart-like (verrucous) and small raised pus-filled (papulopustular) lesions are common. They may be violet colored and have very small abscesses around the borders of the lesions.

Is the prostate gland infected with blastomycosis?

Involvement of the urogenital tract is common in males with Blastomycosis. In about 30 percent of cases, the prostate gland and the tubes that carry sperm from the testes (epididymis) are infected by the fungus.