[Prevention of immunodeficiency and postoperative infective complications in patients undergoing surgical resection for carcinoma of the colon-rectum. Clinical study on 50 cases, using thymus hormones and thymopentin in particular].

As well as being related to the spread of the tumour, cancer patients present a state of immunodeficiency which is linked to age, malnutrition which is often present, particular in cases of cancer of the gastroenteric tract, surgery and the possibility of associated chemo- or radiotherapy. The authors studied two groups of 25 patients with colorectal cancer. In addition to antibiotic prophylaxis, group A received immunostimulating therapy with thymopentin-TP5. Group B was treated with antibiotic therapy alone. Cell-mediated immunity was checked preoperatively and after 15 days on the basis of skin reaction to 7 booster antigens (Multitest-IMC). Strictly surgical infective complications were more frequent in group B patients (28.1%) receiving antibiotic treatment alone compared to subjects in group A (21.6%). Infections in a non-surgical site were more than double in the absence of perioperative immune therapy. Of the 25 patients examined in group A, 3-4 postoperative infections and as many long-distance infections were reported, all of which resolved without sequelae within a few days. There was a greater and faster recovery of body weight in those subjects receiving thymopentin treatment in addition to antibiotic therapy. In colorectal cancer surgery antibiotic prophylaxis alone is without doubt a valid surgical antisepsis but, above all in hypoergic patients, it is significantly enhanced by perioperative treatment with thymopentin. This association reduces both postoperative infectious complications, in particular postoperative abdominal abscess, and infections in other areas, such as respiratory complications.