Tumor Autograft Responses in Patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme

Abstract

T HE role of host factors in mal ignant disease has long intrigued cancer investigators. More recently, emphasis has again been placed on immunologic factors of the host. Much of the work on this aspect of the disease was carried out in experimental aninmls using t ransplantable tumors and a vas t amoun t of l i terature has been accunmlated on the subject. The interested reader is referred to the excellent reviews of Gofer, 9 Snell, 27 and Hauschka . ~6 These are quite comprehensive and present three fairly distinctive viewpoints. F rom this work on animals, a great deal has been learned about the genetic and immunologic factors involved in rejection of t ransplants . For example, abrogat ion of the immune mechanism m a y accelerate the appearance, growth and metastas is of a malignant tumor . In addition, some degree of resistance against t ransplantable tumors in animals m a y be obtained by act ive and passive immunizat ion procedures. In the human, there is both direct and indirect evidence tha t host factors play a role in the progress of a mal ignant disease. The most d ramat ic examples are found in those cases of authent ic , spontaneous regressions of mal ignant neoplasms. 5,15,2~ Other evidence is suggested by the following: (1) Prolonged survival of pa t ients af ter incomplete removal of their cancer or the sudden appearance of widespread metas tases m a n y years following apparen t ly successful t r ea tmen t of the primary lesion, s (2) Regression of proven