Chemotherapy modalities and immune condition of the host

Abstract

It is clear that it is possible to improve the immune condition of the host and to increase its immunological reactivity by employing a range of modalities. These may involve nonspecific immunostimulation of the host, active or passive immunization, adoptive chemotherapy, alteration of tumor cell antigenicity or other types of approaches. New agents may be sought that will serve as immunostimulants or that may prevent immunosuppression by tumor growth or by chemotherapeutic agents. New analogs of the known antitumor agents may be examined to determine whether they are less immunosuppressant than the parent drug. Any means leading to the net improvement of the immune status of the host may result in diminished drug toxicity for the host, increased antitumor response, and augmentation of immunochemotherapy.