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Bone marrow trephine biopsy (BMB) was done in 57 consecutive cases of breast cancer in order to detect micrometastasis. In 46 cases, presenting for the first time, tumor cells were seen in the bone marrow in nine (19.5%) cases. Out of 11 cases who presented with recurrence, micrometastasis was detected in seven (63.6%). Bone marrow aspiration (BMA) could detect only two of these sixteen positive cases. Immuno peroxidase staining or Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA) helped picked up three cases which were negative on routine Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain. BMB is indicated in the evaluation of breast cancer at diagnosis and at relapse.

This study describes serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in 13 healthy women, 10 women with breast dysplasia and 37 patients with breast carcinoma. A difference was found between sIL-2R levels in normal women and cancer patients. sIL-2R increased with the advance in stage of cancer but the extent of increase fell from stage III to stage IV as compared to the change from stage II to stage III. Of the 15 patients who were followed after surgery and/or therapy, 10 (67%) showed a fall in the serum sIL-2R levels. A negative correlation was found between sIL-2R levels and lymphocytic infiltration only within the malignant tissue. These findings probably indicate that sIL-2R exerts an immunomodulatory effect on blood lymphocytes by preventing their infiltration into the tumour tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind in immunology of breast carcinoma.

We report the clinical outcome of conventional therapy and BCG immunisation therapy for 40 patients with advanced breast carcinoma. The clinical outcome was better for the 20 patients receiving BCG immunisation therapy. All patients were assessed for cell mediated immunologic competence before starting treatment and after completion of treatment. Thereafter they were followed for one year. Those patients who showed good local response to BCG vaccination before starting therapy had better prognosis, and those for whom anergy to PPD and DNCB could be reversed by BCG immunotherapy showed clinical improvement. Another interesting finding was that IgA was the predominating immunoglobulin located in normal breast tissue and benign breast tumours while IgG was deposited in most of the malignant breast tumour. This indicated that malignant tumours of the breast jeopardise the secretory immune system of the mammary gland.

Leydig cell tumor of the testis is an uncommon occurrence. A case is reported here which had two interesting features. One was extensive calcification and the other an abundant lipid deposition within the tumour cells. The pathogenesis of calcification is discussed.