Does cancer go away on its own?

An intriguing study out of Norway suggests that many cancers may go away without treatment. One group of women had a single mammogram; another group had regular mammograms over a five year period.

Both groups had similar risk factors, but 22% more of the women in the group who had regularly screening were diagnosed with breast cancer! Mammograms are not believed to be the cause of the cancers.

One intriguing possibility: that it isn't unusual for a tumor to form and begin to grow before the immune system musters its forces and eliminates the cancer.

A possible explanation for a rise in cancer is that we are screening for it more and consequently finding many tumors that would naturally resolve on their own.

The results are controversial but certainly open the door to more research.