Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Apr 2, 2008, at 7:08 PM, Howard Ritter wrote: > Javier-- > > No contradiction here. Normal individuals don't "catch" cancer from > other people with cancer because their immune systems destroy any > cancer cells that might be passed, even if by a blood transfusion > (because the immune system is triggered by foreign cell-surface > proteins [HLA antigens] that tend to be much different between > random individuals, and which are indeed specified by the cell's DNA). > > The unfortunate recipients in this tragic case weren't "normal"--the > transplanted cancer went wild because their immune systems had been > actively suppressed to keep them from rejecting the transplanted > organs--and so weren't able to reject the transplanted cancer cells > either. I'd hope that the immune systems of the surviving > recipients, with the immunosuppressive drugs discontinued, would be > able to eradicate the lymphoma. I agree Howard, what occurred wasn't new or surprising...in fact it was predictable. But it does raise other questions. What is tragic is the mistaken diagnosis of meningitis instead of lymphoma, which should have been established before any transplantation was done. Instead it appears that it took a month, after the transplantations, to do an autopsy and to make the correct diagnosis. Clearly this is being investigated. I wonder Howard, about the transplantations being approved here, even based on the incorrect diagnosis of meningitis of unknown cause...even if meningitis had been the correct diagnosis, that could be risky since no cause was proven...any thoughts about that Howard? Do current transplantation guidelines really permit transplantation in this situation? Are the guidelines really a case by case, and state by state patchwork? thanks, Steve > > > --howard > (hematologist-oncologist by day, > dangerously delusional amateur Leicaman by night) > > > On Apr 2, 2008, at 12:36 AM, Javier Perez wrote: > >> >> Sorry for the OT >> >> For years I had speculated that cancer could be spread from person >> to person. >> But everyone I spoke to said the cancer would be killed off by the >> new host >> because it would have foreign DNA. >> >> Well according to this article the thing can be spread through >> organ transplants! >> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/01/eveningnews/main3987994.shtml >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live >> Messenger. >> http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_042008 >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information best, Steve kididdoc@cox.net "I never wanted to be famous" http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/186890