| Abstract: | The 5-year cumulative survival rate was measured in 28 cases of osteosarcoma treated with high dose radiation since 1969 is 48.8% in our clinic. It can be said that high dose radiotherapy has a significant survival effect compared to early amputation therapy for the patient with osteosarcoma. The difference of the prognosis between both therapies may be related to immunological reactions. In order to obtain further information on this possibility, experimental studies on mice suffering from tumors have been performed. Results revealed that spleen cell migration inhibition reaction, as a specific immunity, became negative and anti-tumor properties were eliminated as a results of the amputation of the limb bearing the tumor. Also, when BCG as well as irradiated tumor cells were administered to tumor-afflicted mice, an improved rate of survival among the mice was observed. As a result of the study of patients with osteosarcoma that has been treated with high dose radiation related to changes in their immunity, it was disclosed that there was a marked tendency to diminution in peripheral blood lymphocytes or T cells in cases with poorer prognoses. In cases of long survival, both showed high values. Lymphoblastgenesis by PHA and PWM showed higher values in cases with better prognoses than in those with poor prognoses. Furthermore, in many of the cases in which the tuberculin skin reaction became negative, a short survival period was noted. |
