Advances in the immunology of head and neck cancer

The multifaceted immune system appears to exhibit both beneficial and harmful responses to the presence of malignant disease. The prognosis in patients with cancer may be more accurately determined by combining an evaluation of the patient's immune system with the current method of clinical staging. Malnutrition and liver disease influence the integrity of the immune system, and future attempts at immunotherapy must involve the treatment of these underlying diseases. Plasmapheresis may become useful by removing nonspecific blocking factors in the future therapy of carcinoma of the head and neck.