REPEATED IMMUNO-EMBOLIZATION OF INOPERABL E HEPATIC METASTASES FROM RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Interleukin 2 (IL2)-based immunotherapy is effective in a sub-group of patients with metastatic renal cancer, but cure from liver metastases is very rare and even the selection of patients to be treated is very much limited by the toxicity of IL2. To reduce this toxicity and to a ugment the efficacy of intrahepatic IL2 application, a protocol of com bined rIL2 (3 mg/day) and Lipiodol (2-5 mg/day according to tumour siz e), via a catheter inserted percutaneously into the hepatic artery, wa s implemented, As an adverse reaction, moderate fever (WHO) grade I an d II was noted. A partial remission was seen in one patient and stable disease in four patients over a period of 2-6 years (median 32.2 mont h). It seems that immuno-embolisation of otherwise intractable liver m etastases of renal cancer is well tolerated and its efficacy may be au gmented by optimisation of the therapeutic protocol.