Scientists have studied the immune system to find out why flu is easier to fight off than cancer – and hope it could help develop new early-stage treatments.
Each year, 16,300 people die from cancer in Scotland, with around 34,100 people newly diagnosed per year. It is hoped the discovery, published in Science Immunology, will lead to new cancer treatments which are less harsh than existing ones. There are two types of dendritic cells, one which exists in the cells which become tumorous and those which live in the lymph nodes, a key part of the immune system.
Further studies will also demonstrate whether the exposure of the immune system to the threat is a factor in how much, or how little, it reacts.Lead researcher Dr Ed Roberts, of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow, said: “We looked at cancer which had spread to the lungs as it affects the same organs which are affected by flu for the best comparison.
“This could allow cancers to be caught at an early stage and tackled by a patient’s own immune system rather than harsh treatments which are necessary at a later stage when the cancer has grown and potentially spread to other parts of the body.”
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