Immunology of sarcomas.

There is evidence for common sarcoma antigens expressed on a variety of sarcomas of bone and soft tissues. Antibodies and cell-mediated responses to sarcoma-associated if not sarcoma-specific antigens have been demonstrated in tumor-bearing patients. Antibodies have also been found in contacts and parents of affected individuals. Common antigenicity and a response to sarcoma antigens by ostensibly normal individuals provide circumstantial evidence for a viral etiology, supported by experiments inducing sarcomas with known viruses in rodents. Immunotherapy that takes advantage of the immunogenicity of sarcomas is in its infancy, but has significant promise.