The Relevance of Immunological System in Cancer Progression

Cancer cells can even turn off the immune response so that the immune cells don't attack them. Also, persons with cancer actually have a weakened immune system. The immune system gets less effective when the cancer itself affects the bone marrow. The weakness of immune can equally results from cancer treatment, like chemotherapy or radiation therapy which affects the bone marrow. The immune system is the body's defense mechanism: it mainly protects the body from the harmful effects of pathogens as well as cancer cells. It has been reported that, cancer cells can escape detection and elimination and form tumors. This tumor can weaken the immune response. When normal cells turn into cancer cells, some of the antigens on their surface may change. If the immune system notices the foreign antigens, it launches the body's defenders, including killer T cells, NK cells, and macrophages. But the immune system cannot patrol everywhere to provide body wide surveillance, flushing out and eliminating all cells that become cancerous. Tumors develop when the immune system is overwhelme