Allergic to cancer

Overactive immune systems may protect against certain types of brain tumor

Hay fever, dog, peanut and other allergies may protect sufferers from certain types of brain tumors, a new study suggests.

In surveys of hospital patients, individuals with glioma — a common form of brain and spinal cancer — were less likely than cancer-free individuals to report having allergies, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report online February 7 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.