Cancer caused by an inherited selective defect in immunological surveillance

Cellular Immunity in Two Familial Cases of Thyroid Carcinoma

Cellular immunity in two brothers with thyroid carcinoma in a family presenting pathological thyroid changes was investigated. In these brothers a low PHA lymphocyte blast-transformation and an elevated number of surface membrane Ig bearing lymphocytes were observed. These data are discussed in relation to the question of immunological defects which frequently are present in carcinoma patients.

Cutaneous diseases preceding diagnoses of lymphoreticular malignancies

Dermatology visits during a 5-year period before the diagnosis of lymphoreticular malignancy in 258 subjects were reviewed and compared with visits made by 258 randomly selected, age- and sex-matched control subjects in the same period. Six of the 96 patients with leukemia and none of their matched controls (p less than 0.05) had cutaneous malignancies 20 to 60 months before the diagnosis of leukemia. There was no increase in cutaneous malignancies preceding lymphoma. A common factor predisposing to both cutaneous malignancy and leukemia, such as a defect in immunosurveillance, is suggested.