Assessment of cellular immune response to cancer of the breast.

Cellular immune competence and cell-mediated immunity to tumor antigens have been studied in patients with breast cancer. Some patients have been shown to have depressed lymphoproliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin and in mixed leukocyte culture. In some cases, this depression appeared attributable to suppressor cells. Many patients with breast cancer had a cellular immunity to extracts of autologous or allogenetic tumors, as detected by lymphoproliferation and leukocyte migration inhibition assays. In addition, some breast cancer patients reacted to antigens associated with murine mammary tumor virus. Some of the tests for cellular immunity have revealed correlations with clinical course and, therefore, may be of use in the management of patients with breast cancer.