DNCB and PPD skin tests and prognosis in 152 patients with breast cancer. A prospective 2-year follow-up.

The relationship of pretreatment immunologic status in terms of skin tests to prognosis within stages was studied in 152 breast cancer patients. DNCB and PPD testing was used. As for DNCB, no relationship was found at early stages of the disease. In locoregionally advanced disease, patients with stronger test grades had longer disease-free intervals. In case of distant dissemination significant difference in reactivity with respect to survival was found: short survivors were more frequently nonresponders or mild responders. Anergy was, however, more frequent in patients with general ill health and therefore this test does not provide an important additional prognostic information as compared to that given by conventional clinical findings. As for PPD, no relationship between reactivity to this antigen and prognosis at any stage of the disease was found.