title: Innate resistance and specific immunity in host control of cancer.
abstract: A review of the role of immune mechanisms in neoplasia is presented. The role of macrophages in innate resistance, the involvement of T-Lymphocytes and other aspects are discussed. Innate resistance to sporadically occurring malignant cells may be exercised by mononuclear phagocytes. While there is no support for the hypothesis that specific immune processes involving T-lymphocytes determine the incidence of cancer, they influence the biological behavior and natural history of some tumors once they have become clinically evident.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology