Is cancer an autoimmune disease?
Dr. César Serrano,
Head of the Sarcoma Translational Research Group at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO).
Cancer is not an autoimmune disease. Immunity can help fight cancer, and a better understanding of it is leading immunotherapy to become a therapeutic option for some tumors today. An example of this progress was reflected in the research of James Allison and Tasuku Honjo, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2018.
Is cancer genetic?
Dr. César Serrano,
Head of the Sarcoma Translational Research Group at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO).
Cancer is indeed genetic because the alterations in tumor cells are found in the genes. We can understand genes as small packets of information in which we store all the data corresponding to our bodies, organs, and cells; genetics explains how everything will be and predetermines it. When these packets undergo an alteration (mutate), break, or are exchanged, they cause the genetic information to no longer be translated in the same way, thus altering the normal behavior of the cells. It is also important to clarify that genetic does not necessarily mean hereditary. Only about 10% of tumors are hereditary in nature.
Is cancer a virus?
Dr. Antonia Tomás-Loba,
Researcher at the University of Murcia (UMU).
Definitely not; cancer is not a virus. Cancer resides in our own cells. What can happen is that our cells become infected by a virus, altering them and causing tumors, as is the case with the papillomavirus.
If you have questions about the disease, the FERO Foundation recommends that you always consult your doctor.
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