Open AccessImmunologic Responsiveness of Patients with Cancer
Author(s) -
Loren Humphrey,
Mark Humphrey,
Om Singla,
F. J. Volenec
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-198105000-00006
Subject(s) - medicine , immune system , melanoma , breast cancer , immunotherapy , cancer , immunology , stimulation , antigen , cancer immunotherapy , lymphocyte , immunity , oncology , cancer research
Data on cellular immunity of 39 patients with breast cancer and 29 patients with malignant melanoma, is presented. T/B lymphocyte ratios, lymphocyte blastogenesis (LB) with PHA and with cancer antigen preparations were carried out from two to four weeks after cancer surgery, and immediately after eight weeks of immunostimulation with a tumor-specific vaccine. Distinct differences were observed. Small breast cancers do not seem to evoke a host immune response, while small melanomas are associated with a state of immune stimulation. After immunotherapy LB in these breast cancer patients shows significant stimulation while LB in the melanoma patients changed from stimulation to normal response. Quite different results were obtained in patients with Stage II cancers; breast cancer patients showed immune stimulation which did not change after immunotherapy. The melanoma patients showed low normal immune response, which changed to high normal after immunotherapy. Patients with Stage III breast cancer and melanoma were similar in their poor immune responsiveness. Possible mechanisms are offered for these differences.