Ultrastructural and Clinical Observations on Skin Metastases from Breast Cancer Patients following Intralesional Treatment with MER/BCG Vaccine

Abstract

Ultrastructural and clinical investigations were carried out on skin metastases in patients with advanced breast cancer, following intralesional therapy with MER/BCG vaccine. A total of 65 tumoral lesions in 5 patients were injected with MER. Clinical responses were correlated with light and electron microscopic observations. Regressing tumor lesions showed substantial macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration and severe damage to tumor cells. Activated macrophages with secondary lysosomes and contacts between macrophages and tumor cells were widely observed. In 1 patient with limited cellular immune response, clinical regression was not evident and many tumor cells were ultrastructurally intact.