Lymphocyte transformation in lung cancer patients.

Lymphocyte mitogen transformation has been studied before and after treatment with sugery and radiation in lung cancer patients, in surgically treated patients with non-malignant lesions, and in healthy persons. We have shown a fall in lymphocyte response following operation, even in patients with benign lesions. Patients with cancer have a lymphocyte response which is depressed following operation more than the patients with benign lesions. Following cobalt irradiation there is a further fall in response. We were not able to identify a factor in the serum of patient with depressed lymphocyte transfromation which affected lymphocyte response to Phytohemagglutinin. A recovery in response towards pre-treatment levels occurs earliest in patients with benign lesions. In the patients who had not received irradiation, lymphocyte transformation did not have any prognostic value. In patients with advancing cancer, who ultimately die following irradiation, there is no recovery of response. This lack of recovery signals a very poor prognosis.