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The programme
describes how difficult it is for the immune system to recognize
and eliminate cancer cells.
Cancer arises
from the pathological changes in the genetic material of the
cell. Karl Heinrich Bauer, the founder of the German Cancer
Research Centre, discovered this. Cancer cells also appear in
healthy bodies, but they are normally eliminated by the immune
system. This prevents the illness from taking hold in the body.
Unfortunately, the elimination of the cancer cells is not always
successful. There are several reasons for this.
Some cancer
cells are able to deactivate the cell death program (apoptosis)
and, in this way, protect themselves from the attacks of the
immune system.
Cancer cells,
which are a form of healthy cells, cannot always be recognized
as foreign bodies, taking themselves out of the sights of the
immune defences. The immune system is weakened and can no longer
prevent the formation of tumours.
One type
of cancer, leukaemia, is discussed in greater detail. In the
course of the disease, the blood cells multiply without restraint
and are damaged. But many patients can be helped with bone marrow
transplants and chemotherapy.
More recent
research is aimed at adding new weapons to the immune system's
arsenal or making cancer cells easier to recognize. Some of
the approaches in this direction are described and visualized
using animated films.
Types of
sports which increase endurance reinforce the body's defences,
reduce stress and consequently reduce the risk of cancer.
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