This actually has been an issue for a number of children with ALL (my daughter has ALL) who just received regular chemo, and didn't go the BMT route.  Many drs have voiced the opinion that only transplants raise the concern of erasing prior immunities, but this has proven not to be the case, at least in children with ALL.  Some still retain the immunities developed, while other had most -- including polio, chicken pox, measles -- wiped out.  They found this out by pushing to have their titers checked after a period of time OT.

So yes, it is possible.  I know a number of children with ALL who had to be revaccinated OT because they had lost almost all of their immunities, and they had not gone to transplant.  Drs have differed over whether to revaccinate completely, or just to give boosters where appropriate.  The only way to check is to check the titers when OT.

But there are a number of drs -- many from reputable places -- that do not believe this to be true.  The evidence proves otherwise, though.

Ann

Tex,

I have no idea if this happens with adults (which is why I phrased my reply the way I did -- that I know that it happens in pediatric ALL cases).  Could there be a distinction between adults and children in this area?  Possibly.  But I thought it was pertinent to the query that I knew this happened in children sometimes.

Perhaps an adult's immunity is stronger after many years??  But I don't have a medical degree -- I'm just a momcologist....

It's an interesting issue.

Ann

It is.  I figured your answer had focused on children because that's all you knew.  But I had to ask.

I'd never heard that there was even a disagreement.  Whenever I can stand outside the experience and look back in, this is a fascinating set of diseases.

Blessings