IMMUNE THERAPY OF ADVANCED RENAL-CELL CAR CINOMA

In the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, cytokines such as i nterferons, interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor and immune therapy wi th autologous tumor cells and tumor cell vaccines have been tested on a large scale. A definitive cure of a patient with advanced renal cell cancer treated with cytokines or immune therapy has so far not been r eported in the literature. The rates of objective remissions (PR and C R) are disappointing and rarely exceed 20% overall. The combination of interferon-alpha and interleukin-2 administered subcutaneously seems to offer the best results with the lowest morbidity. However since sta ndard treatment protocols do not exist, treatment of patients with ren al cell carcinoma using these substances should only be performed in p rospective trials. Immunotherapy with interferons, interleukin-2, tumo r necrosis factor, autologous tumor celts or tumor cell vaccines has t o be regarded as experimental.