The relevance of non-linear mathematics (chaos theory) to the treatment ofcancer, the role of the immune response and the potential for vaccines

Non-linear mathematics or 'chaos' theory was first applied in the predictio n of complex systems such as the weather. Chaotic systems exhibit not only apparently random unpredictability, but also a degree of determinism, in th at randomness remains confined within specific parameters. Biological syste ms manifest many of the features of chaotic systems, including the inherent repetition of self, fractal structure, and the existence of strange attrac tors. In this article, the interaction between a tumour and the immune syst em is examined with regard to the capacity for immunotherapy to influence t hese two complex systems beneficially. It is postulated that judicious immu nization may lead to profound changes in the stability of this interaction, in the favour of the immune system's ability to recognize tumour cells.