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Peripheral lymphocyte counts in breast carcinoma: An index of immune competence
Author(s) -
Papatestas Angelos E.,
Kark Allan E.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197412)34:6<2014::aid-cncr2820340620>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , lymphocyte , immune system , breast carcinoma , radiation therapy , oncology , chemotherapy , carcinoma , peripheral , immunology , breast cancer , pathology , cancer
A retrospective study of 305 patients with breast carcinoma provides evidence that pretreatment lymphocyte count levels serve as an index of the host's immune competence. An inverse correlation between the stage of the disease and the lymphocyte counts was observed among patients in the younger age groups. Patients in all stages remaining free of metastases in the first 5 postmastectomy years had significantly higher pretreatment counts than those who developed metastases and/or second primaries. These observations give further insight into the host–tumor interaction in breast carcinoma and indicate that difference in lymphocyte counts, previously attributed to treatment modalities that influence lymphocyte levels and cellular immune responses (radiotherapy, chemotherapy), may be completely independent and may rather reflect the host's responses to tumor growth.