Immunosuppression
Immunosuppression means that the activity of the immune system has been reduced. There are a number of situations where this is brought about deliberately, for example by the use of steroids to suppress the immune response in the management of asthma (where the degree of immunosuppression is relatively small) or by the use of more powerful agents such as cyclosporin in order to prevent the rejection of a transplanted organ. It is an unwanted side effect of many of the treatments used to combat Cancer, particularly some of those used in young children with leukaemia. This may produce very low levels of white blood cells and render the children susceptible to overwhelming infection, which must be treated vigorously. Cancer itself, rather than the treatment, can suppress the activity of the immune system, particularly when it invades the bone marrow. Besides the treatment of the cancer, support for the immune system will be required.
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