Monocyte chemotaxis in bronchial carcinoma and cigarette smokers

Chemotaxis of blood monocytes was measured in 31 patients with bronchial carcinoma and 19 cigarette smokers. Thirteen patients with metastatic bronchial carcinoma had significantly less (P less than 0.005) chemotactic response than matched controls. Those with disease confined to the chest, or with recurrent or operable bronchial carcinoma, had no significant depression of monocyte chemotaxis. There was also no significant difference in monocyte chemotaxis between cigarette smokers and matched controls. These results support the concept that in human cancer there is a defect in monocyte chemotaxis, but in bronchial carcinoma significant depression was only apparent in those with advanced disease.