A method for enabling a medical professional to recommend a cancer immunotherapy to a subject comprising: exposing a first sample of whole blood to a first leukocyte-activating agent in a solvent and exposing a second sample of whole blood to a second leukocyte-activating agent in said solvent, said exposing being for an amount of time sufficient for said leukocyte-activating agents to alter the expression of three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs, wherein said first and second leukocyte-activating agents are associated with immune functions involved in cancer immunotherapy and wherein said leukocyte-function-associated mRNA is selected from the group consisting of interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-1, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-2, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-5, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-beta, CTL-associated protein 4, programmed cell death 1, forkhead box P3, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8, CCL chemokine-8, CXCL chemokine-3, and interleukin 2; exposing a third sample of whole blood to said solvent without said first or second leukocyte-activating agents for said amount of time; quantifying the expression of said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs by measuring the amount of mRNA encoding said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs in said first, second and third whole blood samples; predetermining a parameter by multivariate analysis for each combination of said first and second leukocyte-activating agents and said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs using a plurality of patients in one or more of a plurality of groups with known clinical responsiveness to cancer immunotherapy; calculating a predictor value for each individual for each of said clinical response groups; and using said predetermined values as a comparative reference for said predictor values to categorize said subject within said clinical response group and enable said medical professional to recommend a cancer immunotherapy for said subject. exposing a first sample of whole blood to a first leukocyte-activating agent in a solvent and exposing a second sample of whole blood to a second leukocyte-activating agent in said solvent, said exposing being for an amount of time sufficient for said leukocyte-activating agents to alter the expression of three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs, wherein said first and second leukocyte-activating agents are associated with immune functions involved in cancer immunotherapy and wherein said leukocyte-function-associated mRNA is selected from the group consisting of interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-1, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-2, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-5, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-beta, CTL-associated protein 4, programmed cell death 1, forkhead box P3, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8, CCL chemokine-8, CXCL chemokine-3, and interleukin 2; exposing a third sample of whole blood to said solvent without said first or second leukocyte-activating agents for said amount of time; quantifying the expression of said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs by measuring the amount of mRNA encoding said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs in said first, second and third whole blood samples; predetermining a parameter by multivariate analysis for each combination of said first and second leukocyte-activating agents and said three or more leukocyte-function-associated mRNAs using a plurality of patients in one or more of a plurality of groups with known clinical responsiveness to cancer immunotherapy; calculating a predictor value for each individual for each of said clinical response groups; and using said predetermined values as a comparative reference for said predictor values to categorize said subject within said clinical response group and enable said medical professional to recommend a cancer immunotherapy for said subject.