[Immune response in cancer patients treated with adjuvant immunochemotherapy]

In order to evaluate the immune response in cancer patients treated with adjuvant immunochemotherapy, a committee was organized in Japanese research Society for Surgical Cancer Immunology. Skin reactions, subsets of PBL, HLA, immunosuppressor (IAP), Immunoactivity (NK activity and lymphoblastogenesis with PHA), general nutritional condition and performance status were picked up and discussed as to how these reactions influence the prognosis of patients. For example, 395 cases of gastric cancer (excluded stage I, non-chemotherapy and absolute non-curative resection) collected from the committee's hospital were divided into two groups, according to a statistical "cut off point", i.e., more than 5.9g/dl of TP, 4.0g/dl of Alb, and 1500/mm3 of PBL, and values less than these. The five-year survival rate was significantly high in the former group. In the group that kept high counts of these parameters after operation, the 5-year survival rate was significantly high in cases which received immunotherapy. In conclusion, immunoparameters paralleled to the stage of disease and prognosis. When the parameters remained at high levels after operation, the immunotherapy group showed good survival compared to the non-immunotherapy group. Immunotherapy is not valuable in patients with high IAP levels and poor nutritional condition.