[Immunologic profile of patients with carcinoma of the colorectum in the aged].

The authors, after explaining why they were persuaded to effect a study about the immunological outline of patients in geriatric age, suffering from colorectal carcinoma in different stages, state the methods they adopted for the in vivo and in vitro study of the cellular and humoral immunity. In order to better characterize these subjects, the authors also dosed tumoral markers, specific enough for the large intestine carcinoma, such as CEA and AFP. After reporting the results of their research, the authors, as a conclusion, assert there is certainly a straight correlation between immunity faults, bound to ageing, and neoplastic disease; therefore, the study of the immunological outline in aged patients is very useful, not only for prognostic purposes, but also to monitoring the immunitary state, mot inclined to meet depression in such patients as a consequence of the different therapies performed.