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Effect on natural killer and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy including melphalan in breast cancer

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Summary

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Lions Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Research Unit of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, 3050, Victoria, Australia

    Ian R. Mackay, Michael D. E. Goodyear, Clare Riglar & Jennifer Penschow

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  1. Ian R. Mackay
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  2. Michael D. E. Goodyear
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  3. Clare Riglar
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  4. Jennifer Penschow
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Mackay, I.R., Goodyear, M.D.E., Riglar, C. et al. Effect on natural killer and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy including melphalan in breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 16, 98–100 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00199239

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00199239

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