Immunediting
Immunoediting is a concept in cancer immunology describing how the immune system and developing tumors interact to shape tumor immunogenicity. It proposes that cancer evolves under immune pressure through three phases—elimination, equilibrium, and escape—so the immune system can both suppress tumor growth and select for variants that resist attack. The term and framework were introduced in 2002 by Dunn, Old, and Schreiber.
In the elimination phase, innate and adaptive immune components recognize and destroy nascent tumor cells. Cytotoxic
The equilibrium phase is a dormancy-like state in which surviving tumor cells persist under persistent immune
During escape, tumor cells acquire mechanisms to avoid detection or destruction. They may lose or alter antigen
Clinical relevance lies in understanding why tumors respond differently to immunotherapies and how resistance can emerge.