Abstract
Immune parameters were assessed in 22 women before chemotherapy for ovarian cancer and compared with assessment made at home 2 days earlier. In the hospital, as compared to home measures, patients had a lower percentage of lymphocytes and monocytes and a higher percentage of granulocytes. Absolute numbers of lymphocytes were lower at the hospital as compared to at home. T-cell proliferative responses to concanavalin A were elevated for cells isolated from hospital blood samples as compared to home samples. The observed changes in immune parameters were not related to levels of state anxiety at home or at the hospital. The results show anticipatory immune changes in a group of patients receiving chemotherapy that did not include cyclophosphamide.
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This research was supported in part by the Swedish Cancer Foundation; the King Gustav V Jubilee Foundation, Stockholm; the Gertrude and lvar Philipson Foundation; Lars Hiertas Memorial Foundation; and the Karolinska Institute. Irwing Washington was also informative.
We thank Joseph Lawrence for his skillful technical assistance; Timo Hursti for advice; and Sussanne Borjeson, Kristina Bcrtilsson, and Anneti Mattsson for advice and blood sampling.
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Lekander, M., Fürst, C.J., Rotstein, S. et al. Anticipatory immune changes in women treated with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. Int. J. Behav. Med. 2, 1–12 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm0201_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm0201_1