Plague Poems
I sent my aunt, the doctor,
an article in which the title asked:
“Why are so many young people
getting cancer?”
and by way of reply
my aunt, the doctor, sent me
an article about
the oncogenic potential
of Covid-19.
8:36pmMastodon for iOS
Show threaddeer witch--surgery slow reply12h ago

@plaguepoems I will never forget the camp fire metaphor.

https://www.cpr.org/2025/07/31/cu-anschutz-study-respiratory-viruses-trigger-dormant-cancer-cells/

Like wind on a campfire, respiratory viruses can reignite the flames of cancer, new CU Anschutz study finds

In a study involving mice exposed to COVID-19, researchers found the respiratory infections triggered dormant cancer cells to wake up, setting the stage for new tumors.

Colorado Public Radio
Show threadPapyrusBrigade8h ago

@moss Oh! I hadn't heard the campfire analogy before.

“Dormant cancer cells are like the embers left in an abandoned campfire, and respiratory viruses are like a strong wind that reignites the flames,” said senior author James DeGregori, deputy director of the Colorado Cancer Center.

....
In the mouse study, molecular analyses revealed that the awakening of dormant cancer cells is driven by interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein that immune cells release in response to infections or injuries"