Abstract
Context:
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.
Conclusion:
Fever induction under medical guidance may be considered as part of a therapy regimen for cancers of mesodermal origin.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
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Bacterial Toxins / therapeutic use
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Bacterial Vaccines / therapeutic use
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Erysipelas / complications
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Female
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Fever / etiology
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Fever / physiopathology
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Heat-Shock Proteins / immunology
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Humans
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Hyperthermia, Induced* / trends
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Immunotherapy / methods
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Immunotherapy / trends
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Immunotherapy, Active / trends
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Infections / complications*
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Injections, Intralesional
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Male
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Mesoderm
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Neoplasms / complications
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Neoplasms / immunology
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Neoplasms / therapy*
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Remission Induction
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Remission, Spontaneous
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Sarcoma / complications
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Sarcoma / therapy
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Sex Factors
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Soft Tissue Neoplasms / therapy
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Streptococcal Infections / complications
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Streptococcal Vaccines / therapeutic use
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Streptococcus pyogenes
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
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Treatment Outcome
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Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / complications
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Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / epidemiology
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Urinary Tract Infections / complications
Substances
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Antigens, Neoplasm
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Bacterial Toxins
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Bacterial Vaccines
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Heat-Shock Proteins
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Streptococcal Vaccines