Cancer as we all know is a wide group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth. In cancer, normal cells divide and grow uncontrollably, which leads to malignant tumors and spread through other body parts. There have been so many scientific breakthroughs that claim a cure for cancer but have not been proven.
Now the American Society of Hematology has revealed that a preliminary research found that a normal flu shot with a little more boost may be better at protecting cancer patients especially those who are susceptible to infection.
Since patients with certain cancers have a weak immune system and are known to be highly susceptible to flu infection, and sometimes receive little protection from the normal flu shots, researchers from Yale University made a bold move to test a novel vaccine strategy among a group of 51 cancer patients whose median age is 75. Not only did they give their volunteers high-dose version of the vaccine for protection, they also added booster shots 30 days apart. Two volunteers or 4% of the total volunteers were found to have no serious side effects of the vaccine after it was administered.
The authors then concluded based on the results, that it is safe and beneficial for patients to use this new vaccine strategy.
The patients in the study were suffering from different types of cancer. Most of them suffer from a specific cancer known as Plasma Cell Disorders (PCD). PCDs come in many types; it specifically involves uncontrollable reproduction of cells responsible for antibodies production. Although antibodies are important in combating infection, the ones produced by clones are equally defective as its original source, and most often attacks the body itself. Unfortunately, because the plasma cells are affected, this shuts or slows down the production of other antibodies, which in return weakens the immune system.
People with PCD are said to be more at risk of flu infection than the general population, with approximately 20% expected to have the flu with the year. Meanwhile, the researchers revealed that studies in the past showed that the level of protection given by a normal flu shot ranges from 5 to 19% based from the measurement of their hemaglutination antibody inhibition (HAI) titers.
