5 ms·
Here are a couple of other facts: 1. Autoimmune diseases are more common in women 2. The immune system kills tumor cells
by mtdewcmu 10y ago
Here are a couple of other facts:
1. Autoimmune diseases are more common in women
2. The immune system kills tumor cells
- JPLeRouzic 10y agoThen Cancer should be more common in women, isn't?
- rz2k 10y agoPresumably the same mechanism which makes the immune response more effective against cancers makes autoimmune diseases more common. Similarly, some influenza strains are particularly deadly to healthy people, though they are killed by their own hyperactive immune response.
- mtdewcmu 10y ago>> Presumably the same mechanism which makes the immune response more effective against cancers makes autoimmune diseases more common. That seems like a reasonable hypothesis.
- gozur88 10y agoThe implication is womens' immune system is more trigger happy, which would make cancer in women less common.
- stagbeetle 10y agoMy first thought was that the opposite was true. The immune system attacks healthy cells, increasing inflammation, thus stress. Thereby lowering the normal immune system and allowing cancer cells to flourish. Unless you're talking about all-encompassing diseases (I can't think of any off the top of my head). Otherwise, I don't think Celiac/MS/Diabetes is fighting any cancers.
- gozur88 10y agoThe problem is if your immune system is too permissive it's leaving around damaged DNA lines that can later become even more damaged in a cancer kind of way.
- stickfigure 10y agoAlso something I learned recently: Pregnancy suppresses the immune system.