Immune System and Cancer

February 14, 2006

By Ralph Moss

Mainstream medicine believes that most cancer originates because of mysterious processes taking place in our genes. Environmental theories have fallen on hard times. But now some British scientists have concluded that the long-term over-activation of the immune system (such as through irritation or infection) may be the single most important cause of cancer. This over-activation leads to inflammation which eventually leads to cancer.

They call any inflamed tissue "a melting pot of cancer-

causing molecules." The long-standing over-activation of the immune system is the key event in the genesis of many forms of the disease," says Prof. Angus Dalgleish of the Department of Oncology, University of Leicester.

A colleague adds: "We think that when the immune system overcooks, perhaps because of long-term exposure to an infection or carcinogenic chemical, it loses its ability to fight disease and instead may actually begin to nurture and protect young cancer cells."

These particular academic scientists think in terms of pharmacological solutions: "If we could calm the immune system down with certain anti-inflammatory drugs," they wrote, "we might be able to reduce the rates of many common cancers" {Br J Cancer. 2001 Aug;85(4):473-83}.

This is the latest form of a very old theory: that

inflammation is a key promoter of cancer. At the birth of

the modern era, Julius Vogel (1814-1880) put forward a

theory that the growth of cancer was due to an irritation.

The famous German anatomist, Rudolph Virchow (1821-1902),

also identified irritation as the basic cause of cellular growth. This theory persisted into the 20th century, although it fell victim to more sophisticated genetic explanations.

In the world of alternative medicine, this theory was propounded by the late Dr. Joseph Issels. Starting in 1947, he required all his patients to have dental x-rays and have all dead or infected teeth extracted. He also required chronically infected tonsils to be removed. If the patients refused, he asked them to seek treatment elsewhere. His idea was to seek out and remove hidden (occult) sources of infection. This sort of treatment is still practiced in various complementary clinics in Germany and Switzerland. It has now been "rediscovered" in conventional medical circles, as well.

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.~ Albert Einstein ~

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