Peripheral blood lymphocyte levels in large-bowel cancer

The relationship between peripheral blood lymphocyte levels and monitoring and assessment of prognosis of patients with large-bowel cancer has been assessed. There does not appear to be a correlation between the absolute lymphocyte count and the state of disease. Furthermore, the preresection and postresection lymphocyte levels do not accurately predict the likelihood of recurrent cancer subsequently developing, and the serial monitoring of patients with peripheral blood lymphocyte levels adds no important new information to clinical follow-up.