title: Early effects of radium therapy on natural killer (NK) activity in patients with gynaecological malignancies.
abstract: The effect of radium therapy on NK activity in patients with gynecological cancer is presented. Patients were tested before treatment, immediately after treatment and at 1 week intervals for 2 weeks. NK activity in patients before treatment was not statistically different from the normal controls. There was a statistically significant decrease of NK activity after treatment compared to pretreatment value (p less than 0.001). After 1 week NK activity reached pretreatment value and did not change a week later. Radium therapy does not result in a long lasting depression of NK activity, the important host defense mechanism.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011883:Radium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D011883:Radium