[Immunity to diphtheria in advanced cancer patients].

Abstract

In expectation of a possible anticancer treatment with diphtheria toxin, the antidiphtheria immunity has been tested on 65 advanced cancerous patients. The test has been carried out by Schick's test and by blood antibodies' dosage effected by a process "in vivo" on the depilated skin of the New Zealand rabbit. The results show that about the 30% of these patients has no antidiphtheria immunity. The remaining 70% has antidiphtheria immunity, even if in half cases the antibody level is lower than the limit conventionally considered minimum. In case of a treatment with diphtheria toxin on cancerous patients: we suggest to correlate the doses to the antibody level.