Immunopharmacological effects of irradiation

Does irradiation alter immune response and/or favor the development of metastases? The answer to this intriguing polemic question continues to elude modern science. Although some authors claim that irradiation does indeed elicit both effects, others deny that either has been proven unequivocally Nevertheless, "where there's smoke there's fire", and the most reasonable approach would consist in objectively defining what evidence does exist to best decide on a modus operandi for the pivotal quesions which still remain. This paper examines this question in the light of past research working with radiation.