The miseries of allergies just may help prevent some cancers, study finds

November 12, 2008

There may be a silver -- and healthy -- lining to the miserable cloud of allergy symptoms: Sneezing, coughing, tearing and itching just may help prevent cancer -- particularly colon, skin, bladder, mouth, throat, uterus and cervix, lung and gastrointestinal tract cancer, according to a new Cornell study.

These cancers, interestingly, involve organs that "interface directly with the external environment," said Paul Sherman, Cornell professor of neurobiology and behavior, who led the study. He and colleagues analyzed 646 studies on allergies and cancers published over the past 50 years, putting together "the most comprehensive database yet available" on allergies and cancers.

The study revealed "a strong relationship" between allergies and cancer in environmentally exposed tissues, Sherman said. This relationship seldom exists, he noted, between allergies and cancers of tissues that are not directly exposed to the environment, such as cancers of the breast and prostate, as well as myelocytic leukemia and myeloma.

Moreover, the study found that allergies linked to tissues that are exposed to environmental factors -- eczema, hives, hay fever, and animal and food allergies -- were most strongly associated with lower rates of cancers in exposed tissues.

The study, co-authored with Erica Holland '05 (now a medical student at the University of Massachusetts) and Janet Shellman Sherman, a Cornell research scientist and lecturer in neurobiology and behavior, is published in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology (83:4).

"One of our main results was that more than twice as many studies reported inverse allergy-cancer associations as reported positive associations," said Sherman.

Sherman believes that allergy symptoms may help protect against cancer by shedding foreign particles from the body. Some of those particles, he said, might be carcinogenic or carry carcinogens.

"The idea is that the immunoglobulin E system (which is widespread among mammals) and its associated allergy symptoms serve a common prophylactic function," Sherman said, "namely engulfing in mucous and rapidly expelling pathogens, natural venoms and toxins and other potentially carcinogen-carrying antigens before they can trigger neoplasia [the abnormal proliferation of cells]."

Two cancers did not ostensibly fit with the pattern of allergies and lower rates of cancer in environmentally exposed tissues, Sherman noted. However, on closer examination, these "outliers were illuminating." Studies show that allergies are correlated with lower incidences of glioma and pancreatic cancer, which affect internal tissues. However, both glia (which participate in signal transmission in the nervous system, and whose stem cells are exposed to chemicals from the nasal epithelium via the olfactory tract), and pancreatic cells (which can be exposed to intestinal contents if the intervening sphincter malfunctions) "can sometimes come into direct contact with carcinogens from the external environment," Sherman said.

Asthma is linked to higher rates of lung cancer. Unlike other allergies, however, asthma reduces the ability to expel mucus, while other allergies facilitate mucous expulsion and are correlated with lower rates of lung cancer.

The hypothesis that allergies may protect against certain types of cancer because they promote the expulsion of toxins and carcinogen-carrying antigens is also consistent with studies that find that people who express allergy symptoms are less likely to have toxic chemicals in their bodies, Sherman said.

So should people routinely suppress all allergy symptoms with medications? Sherman said the jury is still out. However, allergies are not merely disorders of the immune system, but rather are the evolved front line of defense against certain parasites and cancers. In sum, allergic reactions may be like fevers and morning sickness: uncomfortable responses that survived natural selection because they provided direct benefits.

Cornell University

---

---

	How To Eliminate Your Allergies Forever: The Truth About Allergic Reactions, Allergy Symptoms and Allergy Relief If you're one of the millions of allergy sufferers, most likely you've tried everything to relieve your symptoms only to find small and temporary measures of relief. That's no way to live! Fight back and take control of your symptoms once and for all! With great warmth and insight, John Lee & Maria Johnson, share their surprising research on allergies, the techniques they learned in their 10-year quest to eliminate their allergies, and the specific techniques that finally helped them completely heal their own allergies forever. Some questions addressed by John and Maria include: Are food allergies as common as they seem these days? How do you know if you have one?What makes you allergic to cats, even if the owner cleans up before you come over?How is it that you...
	Your Asthma : Treat Food Allergy Now - "Powerful" Secrets For How To Get Treat Food Allergy Fast, And Prevent It From Happening Again (Your Asthma Series) Amazon Best Sellers ~ Allergies DESCRIPTION You're about to learn a cold hard truth about treating allergies. It may make you upset and a little angry. It may even make you want to close this page, forget you saw it and never want to come here again. But I'll make you a promise - stick with it, hear me out... you'll be glad you did...because by the time you've read this page, you'll realize that you probably have the ability to treat allergies no matter what others have said to you. YOU CAN REALLY TREAT ALLERGY NATURALLY... Can you achieve all that? Sounds like a catch? Or Simply too good to be true! The truth is...Treating allergy to the point of getting rid is simply is easy... IF You Know The Secret. In "Your Asthma : Treat...
	Food Allergies: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment (Natrition and Diet Research Progress) by Patricia M. Rodgers (Editor) Food allergy is an adverse reactions resulting from an inappropriate immunological response to a food antigen. It usually presents as multi-system involvement with gastrointestinal symptoms, cutaneous symptoms, and respiratory symptoms occurring in 50 to 80 percent, 20 to 40 percent, and 4 to 25 percent of cases, respectively. This book reviews research from around the globe in the study of food allergies including fish allergy diagnosis and detection; allergy mitigation by dietary components; the pathophysiology and mechanisms of food allergy; and, emergency department anaphylaxis management and management of children with food allergies.
	The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Airborne Allergies: 100 New Cures for Symptoms from Pollen, Pets, Dust, and Mold (Alternative Health) by Prevention Health Books (Author), Editors of Prevention Health Books (Author) Part of a new series of trade paperback Doctors Books, Home Remedies for Airborne Allergies addresses the most pervasive of allergens-pollen, mold, animal dander, dust mites, and other airborne allergies. Through nutrition, exercise, meditation, and lifestyle changes, this book takes the holistic perspective of building a strong immune system to stay as symptom-free as possible in any environment. It also offers new methods for instant relief through natural remedies without the typical side effects of medications, from homemade nasal sprays to acupressure points and essential oil baths. Features include: -- A directory of alternative health professionals and their unique approaches to treating allergies -- The most recent medical research from institutions including Harvard...
	Your Child's Food Allergies: Detecting & Treating Hyperactivity, Congestion, Irritability and other Symptoms Caused by Common Food Allergies by Jane McNicol (Author) Provides the parent with a complete, step-by-step program for determining and eliminating a child's food allergies or intolerances using the results of a three-year study on the effects of diet on the behavior and health of young children. Covers a host of symptoms from hyperactivity, shortness of attention span, to headaches and runny nose. Includes food recipes and a special hyperactivity test diet.
	The Ultimate Collection Of Tips For Quick Relief Of Common Allergies: A Basic Allergy Help For Recognizing The Symptoms Of Allergy And For Treating ... From The Discomfort And Dangers of Allergy by K M S Publishing.com (Author) How do you get allergies? When you get exposed to any of these things: * Plant pollen * Dust * Mold * Pet hair * Certain foods * Insect stings * Medicines ...And then you notice that your eyes get itchy, you have a runny nose, you're sneezing or wheezing and your body is covered with rashes. Those are the tell-tale symptoms of an allergy. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to certain substances in the environment which you are more sensitive to than most other people. Symptoms can be different. If it is a mild case of allergy, then the worst thing that can happen is that you just feel uncomfortable. However, in severe cases of allergic reactions, the condition can be life-threatening. There are many types of allergies as there are many...
	The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide: How to Cook with Ease for Food Allergies and Recover Good Health by Nicolette M. Dumke (Author) The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide: How to Cook with Ease for Food Allergies and Recover Good Health gives you everything you need to survive and recover from food allergies. It contains medical information about the diagnosis of food allergies, health problems that can be caused by food allergies, and your options for treatment. The book includes a rotation diet that is free from common food allergens such as wheat, milk, eggs, corn, soy, yeast, beef, legumes, citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, and more. Instructions are given on how to personalize the standard rotation diet to meet your individual needs and fit your food pr eferences. Contains 500 recipes that can be used with (or without) the diet. Extensive reference sections include a listing of commercially...
	Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to Their Identification and Treatment by Jonathan Brostoff M.D. (Author), Linda Gamlin (Author), Jonathan Brostoff (Author)  •  A leading international authority on food allergy and intolerance provides invaluable advice for achieving dramatic and long-lasting improvements in your health.  •  Explains how sensitivity to foods is responsible for many chronic and misdiagnosed ailments such as migraines, sinus problems, and persistent fatigue.  •  Includes a step-by-step process for identifying food allergies and intolerances and reshaping your diet for better health. Many people suffer from chronic, unexplained health problems--migraine headaches, poor digestion, recurring sinus symptoms, aching muscles and joints, persistent fatigue--whose causes remain elusive, even to doctors. When conventional tests fail to provide a clear-cut diagnosis, doctors often suggest that these...
	Food Allergies - Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatments Food Allergies - Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatments
	Dr. Dean Mitchell's Allergy and Asthma Solution: The Ultimate Program for Reversing Your Symptoms One Drop at a Time by Dean Mitchell (Author) Over 50 million Americans suffer from a range of frustrating allergy symptoms — from hay fever to asthma, hives to sinusitis. Many have tried medications, visited allergists, and used various treatments, desperate to find a reliable way to alleviate their pain, but just can't seem to get the dependable relief they need. Now, one of New York's top allergists, Dr. Dean Mitchell, lifts the cloud of mystery surrounding allergies and offers a breakthrough new treatment program that will dramatically lessen their severity, if not cure them for good. In Dr. Dean Mitchell's Allergy and Asthma Solution, Mitchell clearly and comprehensively explains what allergies are, why they are so prevalent, and all of the standard treatments. He then presents a cutting edge 5-step program for reversing...