Autoantibodies in cancer patients.

The prevalence of antinuclear antibodies was increased in patients with adenocarcinoma of the corpus uteri, chronic lesions of the cervix uteri, malignant melanoma, non-malignant pigmented skin lesions and basal cell carcinoma. The prevalence of smooth muscle antibodies was increased in patients with squamous carcinoma of the cervix and malignant melanoma. The prevalence of antibodies to gastric parietal cells and thyroid epithelial cells was not increased in any group of patients.