The relationship between sIgM positive lymph-node lymphocytes and breast cancer metastasis.

The relative frequency of lymphocytes with surface immunoglobulins (sIgM, sIgG, sIgA) was studied in breast-cancer patients' axillary lymph nodes by the immunofluorescence technique. The study encompassed a total of 105 patients, most of whom had infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). The results have indicated a significantly higher (p less than 0.005) average percentage of sIgM positive lymphocytes in lymph nodes in the group of IDC patients with lymph-node metastasis. Short-term followup was available for a limited number of patients, but no conclusions were reached with respect to sIgM positive lymphocytes. It is suggested that evaluation of axillary lymph-node and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations for each cancer patient would provide new information which could aid in determining the extent of the disease process. Moreover, such information may be of assistance in decisions of therapeutic modalities, detection of occult metastasis, and prediction of prognosis.