['Little is known about the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on cell-mediated immunity in patients with advanced cervical cancers.', 'We have studied 24 patients with advanced cervical cancer submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) using cis-platinum (100 mg/m(2)/cycle) and bleomycin (30 mg/cycle). The cell-mediated immunity parameters available before and after CT were NK cells, CD4(+)/CD28 and CD8(+)/CD28 T-lymphocyte numbers, PBMC cytotoxicity, and modification of this parameter with "in vitro" addition of IL-12.', 'The number of NK cells was higher before CT (P < 0.008) in 13 patients who presented a good clinical response to treatment, compared to 11 patients with a poor clinical response. In addition, PBMC cytotoxicity (P < 0.001), CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocyte values (P < 0.0047), and CD8(+)/CD28(+) cells were also higher in the group with a good response compared with the group with a poor response. Addition of IL-12 to the medium increased the lytic capacity of PBMC after CT only in the group with a good clinical response (P < 0.05).'] Is nK cell activity in the presence of IL-12 a prognostic assay to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer?