Radiation therapy and host immunity in malignant tumors

Host resistance to the growth of neoplastic cells has been a subject of intense interest for many years. The recent demonstration that many tumors in man have tumor-associated antigens has provided a firm basis for experimental investigations of this resistance. Thus, it is important to determine whether radiation therapy for malignant tumors incurs detrimental effects on the host resistance. This article reviews the information on the relationship of radiation therapy to patient's immune status, and discusses the concept that in radiation therapy for cancer, the patient's immunological responses to the malignat tumor must be considered. (auth.)