T-lymphocytes as a prognostic indicator in head and neck cancer.

The relationship of a cancer patient's immunoreactivity and prognosis appears to be more complex than originally reported. Many earlier studies seemed to show that these assessments of immune competence had prognostic significance. Later reports showed no correlation. Newer technology has given the capability of measuring T-lymphocyte subpopulations and offers the possibility of a more sophisticated assessment of immunoreactivity that might correlate with prognosis. A study of 59 head and neck cancer patients was undertaken to assess the value of measuring the T-cell subpopulations in the peripheral blood and from regional neck lymph nodes. This study shows no difference between those patients free of disease and those either living or dying of disease. The conclusion of this study is that the measurement of T-cell subpopulations offers no prognostic value for patients with head and neck carcinoma.