Author(s)

Robert Lange Elliott

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Cancer immunology is extremely complex with numerous interactions between the tumor and the host. It is time for those that treat cancer, especially surgeons, to learn more about these complex interactions. We need to know more about host immunity and immunosuppressive mechanisms which are not directly related to the disease, but caused by stress and therapy of the disease. The diagnosis of cancer initiates stress that can be very detrimental to the host immune system. Most cancer physicians (surgical, medical, and radiation oncologist) do not appreciate the impact on host cell mediated immunity (CMI) caused by cancer therapy, and definitely do not know how devastating, psychic stress is on host immunity. This communication is an attempt to bring awareness to this problem.

Host Immunity, Cancer Immunosuppression, Cell Mediated Immunity, Psychic Stress

R. Elliott, "Cancer Immunothearapy More than Vaccines “Psychoneuro-Immunooncology: Cancer, the Host, and the Surgeon”," Journal of Cancer Therapy, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2011, pp. 401-407. doi: 10.4236/jct.2011.23055.