Abnormalities of quantitative dinitrochlorobenzene sensitization in cancer patients: Correlation with tumor stage and histology

Cellular immune responses in 103 patients with non‐lymphoid cancers were compared with those in 143 healthy controls using quantitative DNCB contact sensitization. Differences were demonstrated between cancer patients and controls at all levels of reactivity measured. Cancer patients had a lower incidence of spontaneous flare reactions (40.8 vs. 96.5 in controls), a higher incidence of impaired reactivity (29.1% vs. 0.7% in controls), and a higher incidence of anergy (30.1% vs. 2.8% in controls). All anergic cancer patients and all but one control developed a chemical irritation reaction to the sensitizing dose of DNCB. While abnormal reactivity occurred in all histologic tumor types studied, a significant relationship was shown between tumor histology and the distribution of abnormalities. Reactivity was most abnormal in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (43% anergic, 27% impaired reactivity), less in patients with melanoma (25% anergic, 44% impaired) and adenocarcinoma (26% anergic, 27% impaired), and least in patients with sarcoma (13% anergic, 25% impaired). With the exception of patients with sarcoma, the incidence of impaired cellular reactivity was similar in patients with clinically localized cancer (61%) and in patients with disseminated cancer (60%).