Figure 4.1 The three phases of immunoediting
. According to the concept of immunoediting, three phases must be distinguished in the
interactions between the immune system and the tumor: (a)elimination, which corresponds to the destruction of tumor cells by the immunesystem; (b)equilibrium, in which the immune system selects and/or promotes the generation of immunologically resistant tumor cellvariants; and (c)escape, which corresponds to the expansion of the immunologically shaped tumor that is now beyond the control of theimmune system. (Figure drawn by Wiebke Bretting, after (Dunn et al. 2002)).