Immune Issues and Mechanisms in Cancer

The immunologic defense mechanism is well demon­trated in neoplasia of animals and human. Spontaneous regression of many human tumors such as malignant melanomas, 1vmphosarcomas, neuroblastomas choriocar­cinomas, adenocarcinomas and leukemias is due to the defense mechanism of lymphoretrcular system. The discovery of carcinoembrvonicantigen in carcinoma of gastrointestinal tract and the alpha-fetoprotein in hepa­tomas as well 89-recovery of antibodies against these antigens, prevalence of malignancies in immunodeficient patients who have received ellografts and iltmunosup­pressiveagents;areall in favor of such defence mecbanism  On the basis of the immunological reaction of the host against tumors many tests are developed for diag­nosis of neoplasia; these tests include floccu lations, precipitations, tanned red cell agglutinations, immuno­fluorescence, and radioimmunoassay. Many kinds of malignancies are treated successfully