RELATION OF CELL‐MEDIATED IMMUNITY IN WOMEN WITH GENITAL TRACT CANCER TO ORIGIN, HISTOLOGY, CLINICAL STAGE AND SUBSEQUENT BEHAVIOUR OF NEOPLASM

Abstract

Summary A quantitative study of cell‐mediated immunological reactivity was made in patients with female genital tract cancer. Prinary reactivity was measured by contact sensitization to dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and secondary reactivity by delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to skin test antigens (STA). In general, there was an increased incidence of anergic and impaired reactivity in patients with cancer of the cervix, corpus uteri or ovary, compared with age‐matched controls; however, differences between patient‐groups, regarding organ or origin or histological type, were small and insignificant. There was a progressive increase in incidence of anergic and impaired reactivity with worsening of clinical staging of the tumour. Significant differences in reactivity were noted between patients who had remained free of disease and those who had progressive disease after 12 months of follow‐up. It is considered that impairment of cell‐mediated immunity is an unfavourable factor in host‐tumour interactions, and the possibility of augmenting immunological reactivity should be considered in management.