Heart surgery cured a man’s skin cancer – and gave him a bee allergy
Having surgery for a heart condition is thought to have triggered an immune response that put the patient into remission for his severe skin cancer, but also caused him to develop a serious allergy to bee stings
A man in his 60s from Australia had severe skin cancer, known as melanoma, removed from his chest. Eight months later, he was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and needed heart surgery. This surgery unexpectedly caused him to develop a severe bee sting allergy. After the surgery, his cancer disappeared completely. While surgery typically suppresses the immune system and worsens cancer outcomes, this man's immune system was boosted by the surgery and infection, activating cancer-fighting cells.
The cause of his remission remains unclear, but understanding it could reveal pathways that could be targeted with drugs.
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