Thursday, February 15, 2007

Spontaneous Remission



















Breast Cancer Cells
Photo courtesy of Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=135618851&context=photostream&size=o



"Memorial Sloan-Kettering President Lewis Thomas, MD, once said: "The rare but spectacular phenomenon of spontaneous remission of cancer persists in the annals of medicine, totally inexplicable but real, a hypothetical straw to clutch in the search for cure. . . . No one doubts the validity of the observation."

"
Up to 19 percent of some cancers heal themselves, researchers discover. It baffles doctors — but it may be the key to understanding the power of the mind."
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb332593.htm


Placebo effect or some biochemical connection?

" A number of papers discuss possible mechanisms by which spontaneous remission of cancer might occur. The most popular suggestion is some form of immunological reaction, though this is still unproven (Lokich J, 1997; Heim ME, Kobele C, 1995). There seems to be a connection between fever and remission of cancer (Murakawa M et al., 1990); fever in childhood or adulthood may protect against the later onset of cancer and spontaneous remissions are often preceded by feverish infections (Kleef R et al., 2001). The case of remission following myxoedema coma (Hercbergs A, 1999) suggests that hypothyroidism may trigger apoptosis (cell death) in tumours. Yet another idea is that DNA methylation, which is involved in cell differentiation, may play a part (Sugimura T, Ushijama T, 2000). And there is a long-standing impression that psychological states influence the functioning of the immune system.

In summary, then, while the mechanisms of spontaneous remission are by no means fully understood, there are plausible suggestions to explain the phenomenon."

http://www.acampbell.ukfsn.org/essays/skeptic/miraculouscures.html


For more information, visit these sites:

Ivanhoe
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=13064

Spontaneous Remissions
http://www.majidali.com/remissio.htm




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