Cellular immunity in patients with multiple primary tumors

Summary Immunological studies for evaluation of cellular immunity were carried out on 22 patients who had two primary malignant tumors and who had no evidence of active disease. The tests performed were for skin reactivity to 3 recall antigens, PPD, Candidine, and Streptokinase and in vitro lymphocyte stimulation by PHA. Of these, 6 patients were anergic to all three recall antigens and 5 other patients to two out of three antigens. A depression of the in vitro reactivity was encountered in 11 patients. The immune incompetence was more evident in patients with simultaneous tumors than in those with metachroneous tumors. The longer the interval between the appearance of the primary and the secondary tumors, the less immunosuppression was seen.Presented at the 24th Israel Medical Association Conference on Immunological Aspects of Cancer, Tel-Aviv, December 26, 1974This work was supported in part by the Office of the Administrator General, Ministry of Justice and the Medical Research Fund under the Sponsorship of the Ministry of Health