Flu, COVID Can Reawaken Dormant Cancer Cells: Harvard-Einstein Study Reveals

• Research by Harvard and Albert Einstein College in 'Nature' shows respiratory infections like flu and COVID can reactivate dormant cancer cells.
• Dormant cancer cells hide in organs post-treatment; viral infections cause inflammation and IL-6, triggering their rapid growth.
• Mouse studies: Influenza A virus increased dormant breast cancer cells in lungs 100-1000 times in 15 days, altering the lung environment.
• Human data from UK Biobank confirms COVID-infected cancer survivors faced higher risk of cancer-related death and lung metastasis.
• Immune system changes during infection allow cancer cells to grow; future drugs could target IL-6 to prevent recurrence.

Why It Matters: Viral infections like flu and COVID can reawaken dormant cancer cells, increasing recurrence risk.