Metastatic melanoma: Transplenic immunostimulation - A new therapeutical alternative for an ever-challenging disease

BAGKGROUND/AIMS: The successful management of metastatic melanoma is mostly relevant to the feasibility of a sustained immunostimulation requiring hig h doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Sustained immune response is initiated, in terms of cellular and humoral immunity, persisting for 15 days following t he end of exogenous IL-2 transplenic administration. METHODOLOGY: The proceed to the transplenic immunostimulation using IL-2 su spended in lipiodolurografin emulsion through an arterial catheter, which i s introduced into the splenic artery through laparotomy for the management of patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. Eligible for our study were 19 patients undergoing transplenic immunostimulation and locoregional or sy stemic chemotherapy, in relation to the site of the disease. In cases of me tastatic liver melanoma, transtumoral immunostimulation was also carried ou t. RESULTS: Complete response to the regimen, partial response, stable disease and progressive disease were observed in 21%, 42%, 16%, and 21%, respectiv ely. CONCLUSIONS: Transplenic immunostimulation has promising potentials in meta static melanoma patients, on the basis of present results.