ABSTRACT
Introduction At a time when hopes are starting to fade again that a purely genetic approach in oncology
will decisively and effectively control cancer alternative strategies based upon epigenetic mechanisms are being rediscovered.1,2 One of them is considering a link between the pineal gland,3
an unpaired diencephalic organ, and malignancy.4 Since the corpus pineale as it is also called is involved in the central control of temporal neuroimmunoendocrine processes5-7 this approach thus assumes a link between integrative neural processes and disintegrative tendencies manifesting in cancer.
