title: [Host factors in cancer chemotherapy].
abstract: Cancer grows in interaction with the host, that is, a host-tumor relationship exists. Investigations of host factors in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy are important, as they reveal the conditions in which a tumor response can develop. Furthermore, reliable host factors, if present, will be useful for quantitative evaluation of the effects of treatment. We have investigated the following three categories of host factors in relation to the effects of cancer chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. CBC, and blood chemistries (44 parameters). Tumor markers; sialic acid, RNase, lysozyme, ferritin, IAP (immunosuppressive acidic protein), elastase I, AFP, CEA, POA, CA 19-9, CA 125, etc. Immunological parameters; lymphocyte, active T cell, T cell, B cell, IgG Fc receptor-positive T cell, lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by PHA, or concanavalin-A, ADCC activity, interferon production in vitro induced by poly I: C, or PHA, PPD skin test, immune complex, immunoglobulin G, A, and M, OKT series 3, 4, 8, 11, 4/8 ratio, antihuman HLA-DR, Leu 11, NK cell activity, etc. From our clinical observations, there were no significant differences in the pretreatment levels of these parameters between responders and non-responders. In responders, there was a tendency for the host factors to show greater degrees of improvement following treatment than in non-responders, but none proved to be reasonably reliable parameters for evaluating therapeutic effects. On the other hand, from our clinical observations on the advanced gastric cancer cases, life span showed a close correlation with tumor regression induced by cancer chemotherapy. Because of these facts, it is only natural that the clinical effects of chemotherapy are currently determined by definite tumor regression.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism