EBV and HHV-8 are both herpes viruses which have large double stranded DNA. Nearly 95% of all adultes are seropositive. These viruses encode enzymes in DNA replication, repair and nucleotide biosynthesis.

EBV is associated with B and T cell lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, leiomyosarcomas, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Research has shown individuals with immunodeficiency are more likely to develop such illness and thus immunosurveillance plays an important role in the prognosis of such conditions.

Biopsies of Kaposi Sarcoma contained HHV-8 DNA,which suggested the cancer was caused by HHV-8. Kaposi sarcoma was a rare type of cancer before the AIDS epidemic but AIDS increased this kind of cancer. This underscores the role of immunosuppression in the development of Kaposi sarcoma. This suggests that immunotherapy and targeted therapy are the best ways to eradicate this type of cancer.