On the immunology of head and neck cancer--a prognostic index. Preliminary communication.

A pilot study on the immune response in patients with carcinoma of the head and neck has been made. The clinical behaviour of such neoplasia is reasoned as being partly determined by the immunological response. If prognosis is related to competence of the immune system then this parameter should be assessed. DNCB (di-nitro-chloro-benzene) skin sensitization and serial lymphocyte transformation studies were performed on all patients whose progress was studied for at least two years. On analysing the results of survival, patients could be divided into two groups--DNCB positive and DNCB negative. The negative patients could be further subdivided; those with a lymphocyte stimulation index of over fifteen; and those beneath this level--the former had a much better prognosis than the latter. Also, such cancer patients were shown to have both cellular and serum factors causing depression of lymphocyte transformation. In the light of all findings, a future programme of investigation is proposed.