[Effect of chemotherapy on anticancer immune effector cells]

In clinical practice, a number of tests are conducted to determine the immune reactivity of the patients. The principal cell in immunological surveillance against cancer has been thought to be the T cell. However, multiple immunological methods to evaluate the T cell function have failed to confirm a major role for the T cell in immunological surveillance. The role of other potential effector cells such as NK cells, K cells, macrophages and granulocytes needs more intensive investigation. In this report the effects of anticancer agents on immune effector cells were analyzed and the possibility about the development of a reliable monitoring procedure for determining a potent treatment protocol was discussed.