Immunologic evaluation and prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer.

Patients with mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck generally have suppressed T cell function, and this suppression tends to be more pronounced with progression of disease. The prognostic relationships of multiple tests of immune function were analyzed in 183 clinically staged patients. Correlation of immune parameters with prognosis was evident only with the DNCB response, which correlated with recurrence in stages I and II disease (but not in stages III and IV). There was no correlation of any of the in vitro tests of immunofunction with recurrence in any stage. There were no correlations between any of the immune parameters and age or sex nor between DNCB reactivity and any of the in vitro responses.