A cancer cause? - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Science News, Nov 23, 2002 by Karl M. Bizjak

I was intrigued by the fact that some apoptotic cells can recover if not engulfed by another cell ("Get Rid of the Bodies", SN: 9/28/02, p. 202). DNA reassembly after the caspases tear it apart should result in many gene mutations. While most of the mutations would result in cell death, perhaps a few cells would have mutations that promote a cancerous or precancerous state. An aging or weakened immune system would allow more apoptotic cells to recover, increasing the risk of cancer.

KARL M. BIZJAK, ORINDA, CALIF.