[Immunotherapy of cancer: reality or hope? (AUTHOR'S TRANSL)]

The reality of immunotherapy of cancer is still in the trial stages. Supportive immunotherapy combined with conventional cancer therapy can prolong the duration of remission and perhaps raise the cure rate for many neoplastic diseases such as acute leukemias, sarcomas and malignant melanomas. Our knowledge of the immunologic reactions is still incomplete. We expect further progress but we have no evidence that the immune response will be able to prevent or reverse all malignant growth.