The type of immunological boost that I was thinking about would probably be very different from the dendritic cell agents being developed by Dendreon and others. I was actually thinking of something that truly increased the ability of the immune system to respond to any type of “non-self” cells rather than something specific to prostate cancer.

Leah: Apparently, according to a book by Gilbert Welch, MD, quoted by Christiane Northrup, MD, “in autopsy studies of healthy women in their 40s who died in car accidents, a striking 40% had evidence of DCIS in a least one area of breast tissue.”

Now it needs to be said that DCIS is not quite the same thing as an actual diagnosis of breast cancer. (It’s more like being told you have high-grade PIN for men.) I have not been able to find the original research to which Welch and Northrup are referring, but to be honest I haven’t looked too hard. The breast cancer literature is massive and I have limited experience in that field.

Leah

From the PCRI: “dendritic cells (DC): cells that process antigens (proteins) and present them to immune lymphocytes called T cells playing a major role in the initiation of the immune response against tumor and other types of abnormal cells…” Maybe this is what is involved.

Even if proven correct, it could still a long way from the knowledge to a cure. Provenge seeks to use an enhanced form of this, but is still in testing.