My Malignant Melanoma

I've been having a low-level row about "Cancer Diets" with a quacktard over on CRUK's cancer chat who has been taken in by the usual dodgy internet sites (particularly "cancertutor" in his case, and just for variety, incorporating quack diets for autism)

As is often the case with reasonably well-moderated sites, he is trying to restrict his claims to that thin-end-of-the-wedge classic: "I'm not saying X (insert name of quack cure here) cures cancer, I'm saying it boosts the immune system".  

So I point out CRUK's advice on this issue, here "You need a balanced diet, with plenty of calories, to keep your immune system working well. This can help you fight off infections, as well as helping your body fight the cancer". I explain that there are no diets or supplements which boost the immune system, and that if there were, we'd all be prescribed them, because boosting the immune system is actually a potential cure for cancer.

There is in fact an immune system booster being trialled as a melanoma cure, Allovectin- 7. It's looking pretty good. So is Allovectin made of carrots? Noni Juice? Soursop? 'fraid not, Its a gene therapy which puts markers on the surface of MM cells so that the immune system can see them.