TREATMENT OF ADVANCED RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA USING REGIONAL ARTERIAL ADMINISTRATION OF LYMPHOKINE-ACTIVATED KILLER-CELLS IN COMBINATION WITH LOW-DOSES OF RIL-2

We investigated the usefullness and problems of arterial administratio n of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells in combination with syste mic IL-2 in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Te n nephrectomized patients with extrapulmonary and/or nonresectable met astases were treated with arterial infusions of LAK cells and systemic rIL-2 (5 x 10(5) IU twice a day) for 1-12 weeks. Leukapheresis was ca rried out once or twice a week, and two LAK cell populations generated from two gravity subtypes of peripheral blood lymphocytes were admini stered separately. Five of 15 metastases treated showed appreciable re gression of metastatic sites including bone, muscle and lymph nodes. T wo of 15 showed a minor response. Local pain due to metastasis was rel ieved or disappeared in 6 patients. There was no correlation between t he response of the patients and the number of LAK cells used. The 24- and 56-month survival rate was 50 and 25%, respectively. No serious si de effects were experienced during treatment. We conclude that regiona l arterial administration of LAK cells in combination with a low dose of IL-2 is worthwhile as an alternative treatment modality to conventi onal therapy for a selected group of patients with advanced RCC.