Fever and cancer in perspective.
BACKGROUND
A relationship between feverish infection and concurrent remission from cancer has been known about for a very long time. However, a systematic investigation of the phenomenon has not yet been made.


OBJECTIVE
To bring together the isolated observations about the coincidence of spontaneous remissions with feverish infections and William Coley's seminal work, as a basis for devising an immunological hypothesis about the putative anti-cancer effect of fever.


CONCLUSIONS
Fever induction under medical guidance may be considered as part of a therapy regimen for cancers of mesodermal origin.
Hobohm
U
U
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Pharma Research, Basel, Switzerland. uwe.hobohm@roche.com
D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004886:Erysipelas / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000639:trends; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active / Q000639:trends; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000150:complications
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines