Phase IB study on prevention of surgery-induced immunodeficiency with preoperative administration of low-dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 in gastric cancer patients.

Background And Objectives: Low count of total and T helper lymphocytes predicts a poor prognosis in cancer patients and surgical trauma can worsen cancer-related immunodeficiency. Aim of this phase IB study is to verify toxicity and biological effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) at 9 million IU/day subcutaneously (sc.) administered one, two or three preoperative days in patients with gastric cancer undergoing radical surgery.

Influence of blood transfusions on surgery-induced immune changes in colorectal carcinoma.

Perioperative blood transfusions have been shown to enhance recurrence rates in patients with operable solid tumors, perhaps by inducing immunosuppression through unknown mechanisms. Since the surgical treatment per se has been proven to induce immune alterations, the present study was carried out to evaluate the immune effect of blood transfusions on surgery-induced immune variations. The study included 27 patients with resectable colorectal carcinoma, 18 of whom received no transfusion, while the other 9 received blood transfusions in the perioperative period.