Preliminary evaluation of the potential prognostic value of serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG, IgE) in patients with gastric cancer.

Sixty patients with advanced gastric carcinoma who refused to receive cytotoxic chemotherapy were examined for serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE). Three samples were obtained every two months thereafter. The group of patients who had above-normal values of one or more of the examined immunoglobulins had a longer survival than the other (p < 0.