Abstract
In this review, we first summarize current knowledge about the initiation of immune response. We have summarized recent findings on the role of immune system in protection against cancer.
We discuss the current understanding of the interactions between tumors and cells of the immune system particularly at the early stages of carcinogenesis. Acquired information suggests that these interactions help sculpt the eventual development of tumors.
Recent data from human and mice studies clearly show that the immune system is capable of detecting and eliminating the smallest expansions of transformed cells, well before the development of clinical cancer. These achievements suggest a need to change the current emphasis for harnessing antitumor immunity from therapy of advanced disease to the immunotherapy of early lesions, preferably even to prevention of cancer.