title: The early antitumor immune response is necessary for tumor growth: Re-visiting Prehn's hypothesis in the human melanoma system.
abstract: Early events responsible of tumor growth in patients with a normal immune system are poorly understood. Here, we discuss, in the context of human melanoma, the Prehn hypothesis according to which a weak antitumor immune response may be required for tumor growth before weakly or non-immunogenic tumor cell subpopulations are selected by the immune system.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Immuno-Biotherapy of Melanoma and Solid Tumors; Program of Immmuno-Biotherapy of Cancer; San Raffaele Hospital; Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parmiani
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maccalli