ABSTRACT
When leucocytes from normal young adults were cultured with BCG or tuberculine, in vitro, lymphoblasts were observed in the cultures. Such cultures, especially the cell free supernatant, when injected into 2 patients with recurrent thyroid carcinoma and rhabdomyosarcoma respectively, repeatedly caused necrosis of these tumour. Although the nature of the substance responsible for the necrosis is at present unknown, it was very potent, and non antigenic and probably of small molecular weight as it killed the tumour cells by diffusing to them in the tissue fluid. The patients who received the infusion were not cured of their tumours but the method holds promise for palliating and even possibly treating patients with advanced cancers not suitable for other forms of treatment. It could also be used in place of BCG vaccination in Hodgkins disease, leukaemias and other lymphoreticular tumours with a weakened or incompetent cell mediated immune system-CMIS. This study provides further support for recommending regular BCG vaccination of normal people as a prophylaxis against cancer.
