Publication

Abstract : CANCER immunology has developed as a distinct biomedical discipline during the last 20 years, and certain developments in this field are now applicable at the clinical level by the practicing physician. The field of cancer immunology includes studies of (1) immunodeficiency in the etiology, pathogenesis, and natural history of cancer, (2) immunosuppression induced by the various approaches to cancer treatment, (3) tumor-associated antigens and tumor-specific immunity to these antigens, (4) immunodiagnosis of cancer, and (5) cancer immunotherapy. The roles of immunocompetence and immunodeficiency in the pathogenesis and course of the malignant process make them important in estimating the prognosis of the cancer patient in clinical practice. Measurement of immunocompetence will have its most significant application in the development and evaluation of various approaches in immunotherapy. However, it is currently useful in evaluating the various conventional forms of cancer treatment which include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Tests of immunocompetence have