[Immunomodulation by cryosurgery in malignant melanoma]

Onkologie. 1989 Dec;12(6):291-6. doi: 10.1159/000216665.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Cryosurgery is a well-known, established method for the local destruction of tumor tissue by freezing. The assumption that, in addition to a physical and blood vascular phase, an immunological phase exists, has been discussed by many authors and tested using animal models. These results can only be transferred to humans in a limited sense. During the last year, we initiated a randomized study "Cryosurgery versus Conventional Surgery", whereby the peripheral blood and the normal skin from the areas surrounding the resection were compared. We were able to demonstrate in the peripheral blood of 8 cryosurgery patients a postoperative increase in the total and helper T-cells, HLA-DR-positive cells, and the ratio helper/suppressor T-cells in comparison to preoperative values. In the 8 patients treated with conventional surgery, these parameters decreased slightly or remained the same. The differences were highly significant (p = 0.001) to significant (p = 0.01). The results from the first 16 are patients studied presented and discussed here.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • English Abstract
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Cryosurgery*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / surgery*
  • Middle Aged
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Skin Neoplasms / immunology
  • Skin Neoplasms / surgery*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal