BACKGROUND: To evaluate the action of thymus extract (Thymulin) in patients diagnosed with neoplastic disease submitted to surgery treatment, with and without adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, comparing the results obtained in both groups after 6 and 12 months of treatment. METHOD: Retrospective study on 50 patients, with analyses on the variations of the leukocyte count, total lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 lymphocytes after 6 and 12 months after immunostimulation with Thymulin by subcutaneous via. RESULTS: In the group submitted to QT/RT, there was an increase in the number of total leukocytes in 13 cases (43.33%) after 6 months and in 25 cases (83.33%) after 12 months. Regarding the number of lymphocytes, after 6 months of thymus extract use, 19 patients (63.33%) presented higher levels of lymphocytes, and after 12 months, this occurred in 27 cases (90%). The CD4/CD8 lymphocytes ratio demonstrated an increase after 6 months, in 20 patients (66.66%) and, after 12 months in 27 cases (90%). All these data presented statistical significance with the ANOVA test, being p=0,003 for the number of leukocytes, p=0.0008 for the number of total lymphocytes and p<0.0001 for the CD4/CD8 lymphocytes ratio. Regarding the group that was not submitted to QT/RT, the increase in leukocyte levels occurred after 6 months in 17 patients (85%), and after 12 months in 18 (90%). In 2 cases (10%) the leukocyte levels increased over 100% after 12 months. The number of lymphocytes increased in 12 patients (60%) after 6 months, and in 17 (85%) after 12 months. The CD4/CD8 lymphocytes ratio grew both after 6 and after 12 months in 13 patients (65%). The statistical analysis of this sample proved to be important in the evaluation of the leukocytes and total lymphocytes with Student's t-test after 12 months , and it was very significant (p=0.02) concerning the total lymphocytes count made with the ANOVA test. The analysis of the variations in the CD4/CD8 lymphocytes ratio levels was not significant, even though, there was an increase on those values. It was not necessary to interrupt de QT/RT cycles and no patient complained about intolerance in using Thymulin. CONCLUSION: The use of Thymulin associated with QT/RT was capable of restoring and keeping the immune response in control and reducing the immunosupressor and collateral damages induced by antineoplastic therapy without any side effects.
Thymus extracts; Neoplasms; Antineoplastic agents
