Immunological investigation and immunotherapy in patients operated on for breast carcinoma

The tumor-host relationship is an essential factor in the onset, development, and recovery from malignancies. A basic consideration in the treatment of cancer patients must therefore be to understand this relationship and attempt to modify it in order to favor the host. We here discuss the results of a study of the immunologic status of 91 breast cancer patients. The use of a battery of tests with five subcutaneous hypersensitivity antigens allowed us to detect some differences in the immunological profiles of patients with or without lymph node involvement. The effect of an immunostimulant fraction prepared from Corynebacterium granulosum, P40 is also analyzed. This fraction significantly modifies tumoral recurrence in DMBA-induced mammary cancers in the Sprague Dawley rat, causes regression of mammary permeation nodules following in situ injection and modifies the cutaneous reactions of one-half of the anergic breast cancer patients although regular re-challenge is still necessary.