IMMUNOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF THYMOSTIMULIN IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER TREATED WITH COMBINED CHEMORADIOTHERAPY

We investigated the effects of thymostimulin (TST) vs placebo administ ration in a randomised trial performed in patients with locally advanc ed non-small-cell lung cancer treated with a combined modality program me that included hyperfractionated split-course thoracic radiation the rapy plus chemotherapy. Grade 3 to 4 neutropenia, severe anaemia, trea tment delays due to myelosuppression, and overall infectious event rat e were all less frequent in TST-treated patients, but none of these di fferences reached Statistical significance. However, the fungine infec tion rate was significantly lower in the TST group, and natural killer (NK) cell activity was significantly increased in TST-treated patient s. TST is believed to work mainly as a complex immunomodulator, which acts through stimulation of T cell maturation, T cell-mediated cytotox icity, lymphokine production by T cells, regulation of lymphoid cell f unctions, modulation of NK cell activity and, possibly, restoration of depressed monocyte and dendritic cell function. Our study confirms th at TST is capable of improving the tolerance to antitumour treatment, and thus improving the outcome of therapy.