Long-term effect of postoperative irradiation on the immune functions in patients with mammary carcinoma.

The effect of postoperative irradiation on the immune functions of 13 patients with breast carcinoma is reported, using as parameters the peripheral blood lymphocyte count, percentages of E and EAC rosette forming cells, and lymphocyte proliferative responses to PHA, Con A and PPD. After irradiation the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes was reduced during 8 months. The percentages of E and EAC rosette forming cells were not altered during the observation time of 7 to 36 months. In the proliferative responses of lymphocytes to PHA, Con A and PPD, the postoperative irradiation caused a decrease which, regarding PHA and Con A, lasted up to 8 months and then recovered. The decrease in the proliferative responses to PPD was stronger and lasted during the whole observation time. In the mitogenic responses of patients with recurrent or disseminating disease no difference could be demonstrated as compared with the patients living recurrence-free.