Delayed hypersensitivity reaction in patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma.

In patients with sarcoma of the extremity, the tuberculin and dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) skin test were performed to correlate the results with the extent and prognosis of disease. Of the tumor-bearing patients, 60.0 per cent gave a positive tuberculin test and 48.9 per cent a positive DNCB test, with a significant difference from the control group with regard to the incidence of positive results in the later test (P less than 0.03). There was no difference between the different stages in the incidence of positive reactions to tuberculin but a marked difference in that to DNCB (78.6%, 40.7% and 0%). Between survivors and those who died, there was no difference in the incidence of a positive tuberculin test but a significant difference was present in that of a positive DNCB test (P less than 0.04), a difference which may be considered to reflect that in stage of disease process at the time of first examination.