[Chromosome changes in peripheral lymphocytes of patients with neoplasms not previously treated]

Changes in lymphocyte karyotype were noted in subjects with various forms of untreated cancer. Normalisation of the karyotype occurred within two months after removal of the tumour in 40% of cases. Since little is known about the genic background of lymphocytes in the presence of untreated neoplasia, it is felt that alteration of the peripheral karyotype can probably be ascribed to meiopragia closely linked to the fall in immunological surveillance, itself of considerable importance in the complicated problem of the origin of tumours.