Tumor-Specific Immune Mechanisms

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Abstract
LESS than a decade ago, specific host resistance to cancer was termed "as intangible a postulated entity as the four humours or the luminiferous ether."1 The state of knowledge today is more advanced, and it can be considered established that specific immunity constitutes at least one factor in host resistance to tumors.The pivotal concept is simply that neoplastic transformation of cells — tumor formation — involves acquisition of new and tumor-specific antigenicity. The tumor-specific antigens are recognized as foreign by the host lymphoreticular system, with consequent evocation of the various elements of the immune response. Qualitatively, the response to . . .