The journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that people with asthma or eczema are less likely to develop certain cancers.
Quebec researchers found that men with asthma had a lower risk of developing stomach cancer and men with eczema had a lower risk of developing lung cancer.
Although researchers do not yet know the exact factors that cause this protection, the phenomenon is explained by the fact that asthma and eczema are both allergic diseases caused by an overactive immune system. It is undoubtedly this hyperactivity that removes abnormal body cells and reduces the risk of this disease.
Further research is needed to determine the molecular and immunological mechanism of this protection against both kinds of cancers. The findings could eventually lead to better treatments for cancer sufferers.