is there a scientific reason for Spontaneous Remission in cancer?
In: Biology
It seems that the causes are unclear as of 2021. [Quote](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8271173/): “Although the intricate mechanisms of SR [spontaneous remission] have yet to be fully elucidated, it has been shown that infection-mediated immune system activation, biopsy procedures, and disruptions of the tumour microenvironment play pivotal roles in the self-healing of many tumours.”
To elaborate on the first point, the healthy immune system has specialized white blood cells that are often able to recognize and kill cancer cells ([source](https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/cytotoxic-t-cell)), at least before the cancer begins to hide from the immune system. One idea that’s been proposed is that immune activation during infection may stimulate certain kinds of white blood cells to recognize and kill cancer cells more than they would under non-infection conditions in some people, which may lead to spontaneous remission ([source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312698/)).
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