ANTICIPATORY IMMUNE CHANGES IN WOMEN TREATED WITH CHEMOTHERAPY FOR OVARIAN-CANCER

Immune parameters were assessed in 22 women before chemotherapy for ov arian cancer and compared with assessment made at home 2 days earlier. In the hospital, as compared to home measures, patients had a lower p ercentage of lymphocytes and monocytes and a higher percentage of gran ulocytes. Absolute numbers of lymphocytes were lower at the hospital a s compared to at home. T-cell proliferative responses to concanavalin A were elevated for cells isolated from hospital blood samples as comp ared to home samples. The observed changes in immune parameters were n ot related to levels of state anxiety at home or at the hospital. The results show anticipatory immune changes in a group of patients receiv ing chemotherapy that did not include cyclophosphamide.