Boston (eCanadaNow) - Scientists have shown that the immune system in the
body can help fight skin cancer.

It can act as an effective weapon against skin cancers according to
researchers. Patients whose immune systems were boosted by drugs saw their
malignant melanomas shrink and as a result, they lived longer.

Current treatment uses surgery or high doses of chemotherapy drugs. This new
method could change the way the disease is treated.

Jason Chesney of the
<http://www.ecanadanow.com/science/health/2006/11/09/researchers-using-bodys
-immune-system-to-fight-skin-cancer/##> University of Louisville, Kentucky
used the body's immune system to fight the melanoma in his patients. In five
of the seven patients, the tumors shrank or remained stable.

This new research and breakthrough comes after a study was published in
September where scientists at the US National Cancer Institute genetically
modified white blood cells to recognize and destroy the malignant melanoma
cells.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]