Does COVID Cause Cancer?

There's a troubling link between COVID and certain cancers, but as always, it's complicated.

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)
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[lavenderpants]

We need to make this vid go viral just for the importance of that intro alone.

[viyanudawatta]

As a physician, I commend you in your scientific communication to the public. You actually explained how viruses can push us closer to cancers better than any explanation I received or read about in medical school, residency, fellowship, and in my career. Please continue your good work!

[ezgarrth]

"But, fewer of you would have clicked on that, so we're doing what we're doing"
I appreciate the acknowledgement that I still would have been just as intrigued by that

[Psycomega]

This video's entire introduction is basically just a cocktail of critical thinking, media literacy, and self aware admission of being flawed beings. Outstanding move.

[petersmythe]

"it's only been out there in the world for 4 years"
That won't stop job postings from requiring minimum 15 years of COVID treatment experience.

[elisabethdiamond]

As someone who has been taking introductory courses in epidemiology, I do have one small correction for 5:14. (I don’t have a lot of knowledge yet, so take my correction lightly). An odds ratio of 2.9 can be interpreted as “people who have SARS-Cov-2 infection have 2.9 times the odds of having stomach cancer compared to those who were uninfected.” In epidemiology, an odds ratio of 1-1.9 is considered weak to no correlation. An odds ratio of 2-3.9 is considered strong correlation, but with more studies needed for confirmation. That is where this study lies. An odds ratio of 4 or more is considered very strong evidence of a correlation. You were correct that we should treat the conclusion of the study with measured caution and wait for more data, though it does indicate a strong correlation.
Your point that an odds ratio of 2.9 is not strong because cancer-lung odds ratios are 8 at their weakest, however, is a bit exaggerated. Smoking is really weird as far as odds ratios goes. I have never seen any numbers higher in my coursework than those from studies on the effect of smoking. I encountered an odds ratio of 34 from one old study on smoking in my homework. That is just a ridiculously high odds ratio. Most correlations will never see an odds ratio higher than 5.
Saying that 2.9 is a small odds ratio because the odds ratio between smoking and lung cancer is 8 is like saying 6 feet tall is short because Shaquille O’Neal is 7 feet tall.
Hope that helps!

[raphaelgarcia]

Whoever first said, whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, did not understand biology.

[zivzulander]

This is how you know an explainer is well-researched: when the answer is nuanced and caveated, not just trying to confirm the bias or to meet the expectations of anyone.

[myownprivatejoke]

My family was looking after 2 small dogs when we contracted covid. The dogs were very concerned about us, sniffing our breath and doing their best to comfort us and not be a bother. I'd never seen them react that way to someone being ill before, so they must have known it was something serious.

[NirrumTheMad]

"imagine the most carcinogenic thing you can"
me: Like what, drinking a bottle of benzene? That shit's like, liquid cancer.
"I hope you're imagining smoking a cigarette"
Eh close enough

[tashokukisune]

C.mon, man… :( Covid already gave me permanent lung scarring, vascular damage, renal damage, and neurological damage (my smell never came back and it’s been four years), but also kicked off an autoimmune disorder that attacked my pancreas and made me pre-diabetic. It has taken so much from me. I used to be an RN. I was on the front lines.

[Sijman]

Hank, the writer(s) for this episode need a raise. This is one of the best written scripts that I have seen from all of your channels in the last 5 years.

[blabo]

I was in a coma for three weeks plus a month in recovery due to COVID four years ago. This video just added a new existential fear to me

[debralambert]

I have a friend that could be a case study. Pre-COVID he was a super healthy guy, a triathlete and regular runner. He caught long-COVID and was in the hospital for eight months. He rallied and was released from hospital after learning to walk and do daily activities again. Three months later, he goes in for a check-up and comes home with pancreatic cancer. My Spidey-sense began to wonder, "does COVID create opportunities for cancer to arise?". I jumped on this YouTube because I had to confirm my suspicion. Thanks for the info!

[TheKrazybomb]

I really appreciate the thorough and nuanced look at all of this- as someone who is an on/off hypochondriac, the way this video is laid out is actually really reassuring? Like its stating things plainly and with emphasis that its not a straightforward "yes" but a mix of complex but understandable answers. I really genuinely am glad y'all did it like that.

[abraveteddybear]

As a scientist who researches subjects in this field I appreciate your ability to communicate this better than us! Keep it up

[DudeWhoSaysDeez]

Whats mindboggling is that COVID has only been around <5 years. Imagine how much we will know about its long term effects in 20, 30, or 50 years.

[datorxodar]

Thank Dupont peddling Teflon and C8 containing cookware for the increase in colorectal cancers since the 80's. The fact that it is still legal absolutely baffles me.

[waxwinged_hound]

That's actually really comforting to know, that things don't exactly *cause* cancers (other than the body itself) but rather, increase the risk. That's a way of approaching it that I hadn't considered. I've had covid at least once, probably twice and I do have some symptoms of long covid, and seeing the title of this video made me think "great, as if I didn't have enough to worry about" but I clicked anyway. It's a scishow video, I trust you guys, and I figured the more information I have, the better. Also, I'm going to try and start referring to "cancer" as "cancers" since that's more accurate, thank you for making me aware of this.

[lisam]

Living with increased likelihoods of medical issues (mom died of melanoma, dad died of colon cancer, I have PTSD and have other increased medical risks)...yeah, I get how it's scary. But having someone like Hank come on and say, 'Yep, scary...but let's break it down' really helps. I wish the local news programs would take a cue from this type of science reporting/informing rather than throwing out a horrid headline and saying, 'We'll be right back'.