[Epithelial cancer and monoclonal immunoglobulins].

The authors report 4 cases of carcinoma of the intestine, stomach, ovary and breast, association with monoclonal Ig. Clinical and laboratory analysis showed, in particular, that the immunoglobulin was present in small quantity and that there was no Bence-Jones protein in these 4 cases, that the bone marrow was little, or practically unmodified. The authors then discuss the nature, whether by chance or not, of this association the differential diagnosis with major monoclonal dysglobulinemia, e.g. myeloma or Waldenström's disease, and the significance in a cancer patient, of the discovery of Igmc. According to the authors, although in a few cases the tumour may induce development of a clone secreting Igmc, usually carcinoma and Igmc are independent from one another and are due to a common mechanism : reduction in cell immunity, according to Burnet.