Rhythms of the immune system

http://bit.ly/ayvcmF Rhythms of the immune system - Science Show - 17 April 2010: "A survey showed that tumours disappear completely in just 7% of patients when treated with chemotherapy. Did the time of administering chemotherapy have an effect? Daily blood measurements show fluctuation in inflammatory markers in the blood. A cycle emerged. It's now thought the immune system is being regulated, being switched on and off against the tumour. The periodicity is roughly 7 days. This matters, as hitting the immune system with chemicals when it isn't receptive might be ineffective."

Categories: science, radio-national, health, cancer