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From: harrington@neptun.DEC
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Allergies and Cancer
Message-ID: <949@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Oct-85 15:12:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.949
Posted: Mon Oct 21 15:12:17 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Oct-85 03:39:00 EDT
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	I'm just an ignorant layman, but I've been thinking about something
lately, and I wondered if anyone on the net had any ideas about this.

	One of the theories about cancer I've heard is that everybody has can-
car; however, for most people it's not a problem because their immune-system
takes care of it while the cancers are still just isolated, individual cells.
When cancer DOES develop, it's because (so says this theory) something has hap-
pened to impair or weaken the immune-system.

	Now, another theory I've heard is that an allergy like hay fever results
from an overly-sensitive immune-system, one that reacts TOO WELL to "invaders"
like pollen. Sounds like an immune-system that's stronger than it has to be.

	So, what I'm wondering is, have any studies been done comparing the in-
cidence of cancer in individuals with and without allergy problems? Has any sort
of correlation, either positive or negative, been shown between cancer and al-
lergies?

	Even to me who's asking the question, this premise sounds a bit bizarre,
but still it sounds like something that SOMEONE might have explored, or might
want to.

	Does anyone know?

								----- Shawn H.