Immune Studies of Peripheral Blood From Patients With Malignant Disease Gastrointestinal Tract
Immune Studies of Peripheral Blood From Patients With Malignant Disease Gastrointestinal Tract
RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that may occur in the immune system that may help kill cancer cells.
PURPOSE: This laboratory study is looking at anticancer immune responses in the peripheral blood of patients with colon cancer.
OBJECTIVES:
OUTLINE: This is an open-label study.
Patients undergo blood collection at time of follow-up, surgery, thoracentesis, paracentesis, or leukapheresis (≤ 5 times per year). Blood is analyzed for tumor peptides (carcinoembryonic antigen and MUC1), circulating cytokines, and lymphocyte response by ELISA, ELISPOT, or intracellular flow.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 140 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: