T-cell rosette test in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

The percentage of total T-lymphocytes was measured in 38 patients with histologically diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. This measure of cellular immunity, which appears to be important in tumor-cell destruction, is demonstrably lowered in advanced stages of this disease. With the use of this test, the effect of a combined chemoimmunotherapeutic regimen consisting of methotrexate sodium, isoniazid, and BCG vaccine was sutdied. In this small series, no decrease of the T-cell count following treatment by methotrexate was demonstrated, except when a high dosage followed by leucovorin calcium was used. The BCG vaccine appeared to enhance T-cell counts, and one patient who was treated with cryosurgery had a dramatic increase in circulating T-lymphocytes. The T-cell test may be of clinical importance in the development of treatment sequences that provide maximum reduction of tumor cell mass while preserving host T cells.