Radiation = cancer cure?

[GlennACarlson@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/14/2000 4:52:08 PM Central Daylight Time, 
jmuckerheide@delphi.com writes:

> There should be no doubt that low-dose radiation has a very specific immune
>  system response. It is being used to cure cancer, 

Isn't this statement, at best, a misleading overstatement.  I thought 
radiation therapy was premised on the greater sensitivity of cancer cells to 
the damaging effects of radiation versus noncancer cells, i.e., the radiation 
kills cancer cells before (or with greater likelihood than) normal cells.  
Are you saying that radiation therapy "cures" cancer by stimulating the 
immune response?  

Glenn A. Carlson, P.E.
GlennACarlson@aol.com



************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html