Review on Cancer and the Immune System

Abstract

Cancer is a term for a large group of diseases caused by abnormal cells divide rapidly and spread to other tissue and organs. Under normal circumstances, so many cells multiply as long as the body is in need of them for the proper function daily. Healthy cells have a particular life cycle, reproducing and dying off in a way that is determined by the kind of cell. New cells replace old or damaged cells when they die. On the other hand, abnormal growth of cell or cancer disrupts this normal function. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It can migrate through the blood vessels or lymphatic system to different areas throughout the body. With regard to cancer diagnosis: one method is detection of a compromised immunological response of the patient toward his own tumor cells. And the second method is to use antisera, with which immunization of animals with human tumor extracts, for the detection of substances released into the blood by the tumor cells.