The significance of humoral antibodies in the localization of human malignant melanoma

✍ Scribed by Martin G. Lewis; E. McCloy; J. Blake

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 427 KB
• Volume: 60
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800600607

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A study of patients with malignant melanoma, in various stages of the disease, by means of regular repeated examination of sera for the presence of tumour antibodies is presented.

These antibodies were mostly seen in patients with early or localized tumours and were not related to the total mass or volume of the tumour present. Sequential testing in individual patients showed not only the disappearance of antibodies as the disease progressed from localized to disseminated, but also that the disappearance preceded the appearance of disseminated tumour by several months. It is, therefore, suggested that circulating tumour antibodies are important in preventing or delaying blood-borne metastases.