Prognostic value of skin testing with dinitrochlorobenzene in patients with head and neck cancer

Of 107 patients with cancer of the head and neck region in whom sensitization with dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was attempted at the time the patient first presented, 57 became positive while 50 remained negative. These two groups were similar with respect to age, sex, involved sites and extent of tumour at presentation, but the mortality in the DNCB-negative group (38%) was twice as high as that in the DNCB-positive group (17.5%). Since both groups were treated in a similar fashion and have been followed-up for equal periods of time, the difference in mortality suggests that DNCB skin testing is of prognostic value in patients with cancer in the head and neck region.