Abstract
Tumour-associated antigens and specific immune response to these antigens have been clearly demonstrated in patients with melanoma. Impaired cellular immune reactions are evident in patients with progressive and disseminated disease. Immunotherapy is used to heighten the host resistance and hence prevent recurrence and spread of the tumour. BCG vaccine has been used to produce nonspecific stimulation of the immune system. Preliminary evaluation of the effect of adjuvant systemic BCG therapy suggests that the treatment may have a beneficial effect on patients with early melanoma.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Al-Sarraf M., Wong P., Sardesai S., Vaitkevicius V. K. Clinical immunologic responsiveness in malignant disease. I. Delayed hypersensitivity reaction and the effect of cytotoxic drugs. Cancer. 1970 Aug;26(2):262–268. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197008)26:2<262::aid-cncr2820260204>3.0.co;2-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bast R. C., Jr, Zbar B., Borsos T., Rapp H. J. BCG and cancer. N Engl J Med. 1974 Jun 27;290(26):1458–1469. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197406272902605. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cleveland R. P., Meltzer M. S., Zbar B. Tumor cytotoxicity in vitro by macrophages from mice infected with mycobacterium bovis strain BCG. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1974 Jun;52(6):1887–1895. doi: 10.1093/jnci/52.6.1887. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Eilber F. R., Morton D. L., Holmes E. C., Sparks F. C., Ramming K. P. Adjuvant immunotherapy with BCG in treatment of regional-lymph-node metastases from malignant melanoma. N Engl J Med. 1976 Jan 29;294(5):237–240. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197601292940501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fass L., Herberman R. B., Ziegler J. Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to autologous extracts of Burkitt-lymphoma cells. N Engl J Med. 1970 Apr 2;282(14):776–780. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197004022821404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lewis M. G., Ikonopisov R. L., Nairn R. C., Phillips T. M., Fairley G. H., Bodenham D. C., Alexander P. Tumour-specific antibodies in human malignant melanoma and their relationship to the extent of the disease. Br Med J. 1969 Sep 6;3(5670):547–552. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5670.547. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mastrangelo M. J., Sulit H. L., Prehn L. M., Bornstein R. S., Yarbro J. W., Prehn R. T. Intralesional BCG in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. Cancer. 1976 Feb;37(2):684–692. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197602)37:2<684::aid-cncr2820370212>3.0.co;2-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pinsky C. M., Hirshaut Y., Oettgen H. F. Treatment of malignant melanoma by intratumoral injection of BCG. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1973 Dec;39:225–228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- el-Domeiri A. A. Tumor spread and reactivity to DNCB: (2, 4 Dinitro-1 chlorobenzene) skin test. Int Surg. 1972 Aug;57(8):617–619. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]