Effect on natural killer and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy including melphalan in breast cancer.
Natural killer (NK) cell activity and antibody-dependent (K) cell activity were studied sequentially in 30 patients with early node-positive breast cancer entered into an adjuvant chemotherapy trial. The drugs used were melphalan, and melphalan with methotrexate, given for 12 months. Estimations were made 3-monthly during chemotherapy, and then at 15 and 24 months to assess recovery. Mean values for NK-cell activity during chemotherapy were significantly lower than the mean pre-chemotherapy baseline value at all time-points from 3 to 15 months, but there was recovery by 24 months. Mean values for K-cell activity during chemotherapy did not appear to differ from the mean pre-chemotherapy value, but variability in individual values was high. Over a 4-year follow-up period, a comparison of 16 patients who did not develop recurrent breast cancer with 14 who did showed that NK-cell activity was significantly lower in the latter group 12 months after the start of chemotherapy.
D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008558:Melphalan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence
D008558:Melphalan; D008727:Methotrexate