Therefore, while the association between HPV and breast cancer deserves attention, particularly its potential to induce gene mutations through mechanisms like APOBEC3B (see Figure 1) (70, 71), establishing it as a definitive cause of breast cancer requires more prospective cohort studies, mechanistic research, and evidence meeting Bradford Hill criteria (such as dose-response relationship, specificity, biological plausibility, etc.). Here, APOBEC3B is linked to breast cancer.