Application of the Macrophage Migration Inhibition Test to Screen Patients with Early Cancer and Obtain Prognostic Determinations of Cancer Treatment

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Abstract
A modified direct method of the macrophage migration inhibition test (MMIT) was attempted in a large number of patients with malignant or benign tumors. Results of the MMIT in almost all patients with benign tumors were negative except for those with hydatidiform moles, dermoid cysts and viral benign tumors such as verruca plana which were positive. The number of cases determined as false positives were few. About half of the patients with malignant tumors were positive. The majority of negative cancer patients were confirmed pathologically to be advanced cases and, were postulated to have been immunologically unresponsive. The remaining false negative patients were very early cases with malignant foci too small to be effective antigenic stimuli. The MMIT was also performed postoperatively on some patients using autologous antigens, which were preserved by freezing, for examination of changes in the percent migration index. Postoperative repetition of the test showed whether cancer cells were completely eradicated or a relapse might occur in the near future. Examinations of cross reactivity between tumor antigens revealed that such reactivity exists between cancer antigens and antigens originating in hydatidiform moles, and there is also a strong cross reactivity between allogeneic cancer antigens regardless of differences in the organs of origin. The present test is effective for the screening of preoperative patients with early cancer.